The man with a Gallade's arm
by Lord Genesis Shadow
Summary: This is the story of a man who just wanted to raise a Ralts. Doesn't seem much to ask, but after a narrow ordeal he gets his wish. But what if there is something more to what he wants? What if he was destined for something great? Ch.20 is now up. Enjoy.
1. A dream fulfilled

Okay, here we have a Pokémon fic. This one has my personal favorite Pokémon in it and I can say that if I were in the main character's position, I would do the same. Ralts and every evolution after it can be some of the best Pokémon. I love Gardevoir the most, and only female will do for me. If I had a female Gardevoir, I think I could die a happy demon lord. Still, I think this fic starts out nicely, and it introduces a new way to splice human and Pokémon DNA.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Pokémon, but I would be so happy to have a Shiny Gardevoir of my own. I would always make sure she would be well taken care of, even at the cost of my own comfort.  
…

I lobbed the empty sphere absently with my right hand, catching it and lobbing it back up and catching it again. I looked around and sighed.  
…

My name is Gene 'Zero' Alastor. I'm just a guy who got lucky and inherited more money than I could ever spend in my life, and to top that, the money kept growing almost as fast as I spent it. When I wake up, any damage I'd done the day before would be unnoticeable. I am the apparently the last living heir of an ancient bloodline.

I stand at six feet tall and I weigh one hundred and eighty pounds. My hair is blue, a natural trait of the bloodline. My eyes are bright blue, something that some people just don't let go easily. My skin is slightly pale, making my body hair stick out somewhat.

I wear a black duster jacket and a black shirt. Black leather fingerless gloves cover my hands, and studs adorn the knuckles for personal defense. Black denim jeans and black cowboy boots make people think I'm a sheriff when I pass by. My black Stetson hat doesn't help convince them otherwise, but my black sunglasses do a little bit. A black scarf with frayed ends covers my neck and mouth, and I appear suspicious, but I'm usually just travelling. In all, I look like a modern Cowboy who moonlights as a Pokémon trainer. In truth, I'm a Pokémon trainer with a Pokémon.

I'm twenty years old, and I'm a bit odd. I'm twice the age of any beginning Pokémon trainer and I've had a unique pokeball for eleven years. It's black and purple, with bright pink bumps on top. It's called the Masterball. It catches any Pokémon without fail. I could have used it in the eleven years I've had it, but I've just let it sit on a catch along my black leather belt. I want to raise a Pokémon, but I want a specific Pokémon to start. I want to raise a Ralts. I'm not picky about gender but I just want a Ralts to call my own little friend.  
…

I lobbed the ball one last time and pressed the button. I sighed again and looked around as I set it on my belt. There were supposed to be a large number of Ralts in the area, but I couldn't see a single one. I kicked a rock absently and stretched. I looked around again and groaned.

"Is it too much to ask for any Ralts?" I muttered. "I just want to raise a little Ralts. I'm just looking for a little help here Arceus." I looked at the sky. "Just a chance to prove I'm worthy of my dream." A small drop of water hit me directly between my eyes. I looked down and wiped the drop away as three more hit my hat. "Pleased give me a sign that this rain will make a little Ralts hide by my legs to avoid the rain." I looked at the clouds in the distance. I sighed and shook my head. "Why would a supreme being waste any time on me? Ten years with hundreds of unanswered prayers." I looked into the clouds again. "Why would Arceus answer me now?" I walked into a clearing where I had set up a tent. "At least I have this." I smiled as a light wind moved one of the flaps. "Maybe tomorrow I'll find a Ralts." I walked over to my tent and stepped in. I looked around and sighed. "Expecting a Ralts in your tent Zero? You really are hopeless." I could have used my money to have someone find a Ralts, but that wouldn't make me happy. I wanted to find one on my own. That would make my ten years of waiting all the better.

…

I heard a noise from nearby. It sounded like it was right outside my tent. I slowly opened my left eye and looked at the flaps. A small blue Ralts ran in and shook the water off of its tiny body. I felt my heart beating faster, but I checked the impulse to grab the Masterball next to my right hand, which was in front of my face.

'Thank you Arceus.' I thought. 'Please let me at least see this little one up close.' The Ralts walked up to me and shivered. I looked closer and saw that it was a girl. She turned her head to look at me and I couldn't help but smile.

"Ral?" She called quietly. She looked curious, but I wasn't about to scare her away. She moved closer and I gulped. "Ralts?" She moved closer to my face and looked into my eyes. She tilted her head as I smiled wider. She moved her right hand to my face and ran her hand along my left cheek and smiled. "Ralts." She moved closer and nestled against my chest. I moved my arm slowly and moved part of my blanket over her body. She watched me closely but she didn't seem scared. She yawned and closed her eyes. "Ral." I smiled and closed my own eyes.

'I hope she'll stay.' I thought. 'If she doesn't run from me when I get up, I'll catch her.' I smiled wider. 'I'm sure we'll make a great team, even if we don't battle. I'll finally have a friend.'

…

I opened my right eye and saw her looking around my tent. I smiled as she looked over at me when I heard movement outside of the tent.

"Gallade, Gal, Galla, Gallade." A male voice called. He sounded worried, and worse, he was a Gallade, a male Ralts' evolved form when exposed to a special stone. He would have sharp extendable blades on his elbows.

"Devoir, Gar, Garde, Gardevoir." A female voice called. I felt my heart race. If they were this Ralts' parents, I would be in for a difficult time. I sat up slowly and the Ralts watched me as I grabbed the ball and pressed the button. I looked at her and put the ball in my left duster pocket. "Gardevoir." She sounded worried as well.

"Ralts?" The Ralts called at me. She held her arms at me and I felt a sense of worry and loss. I held my right hand out to her and she stepped onto it and grabbed my forearm as I sighed.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." I said quietly. I grabbed my hat with my left hand and put it on my head. She held to my arm while I held her in front of my chest and stood up. "I hope I don't get you in trouble." I love Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir, and Gallade. They're a family of powerful psychic Pokémon and they all look so amazing. They're almost human in appearance, which makes me feel so curious about them. "And if you don't get in trouble, I hope I get to walk away alive." My voice was barely a whisper as I stepped out of my tent. I looked around and stood up. I looked over the tent and saw them.

"Devoir!" The Gardevoir called. The Gallade looked at me curiously as I slowly stepped out from behind the tent with my left hand held up in defense.

"Hello." I said. They stared at me when they saw the Ralts. "I hope I'm not bothering you." I looked at the Ralts. "She got caught in the rain and walked into my tent." The Gallade stared with clenched fists while the Gardevoir held her hands over her mouth. "She was wet and she walked up to me and went to sleep. I covered her with my blanket to keep her warm." The Gallade took a step toward me and I froze. "Is she your daughter?" He nodded and I kneeled. I held my right hand near the ground and looked at the Ralts. "I think you should get back to your family." She looked at them and clutched harder to my arm and shook her head. I looked up at the Gallade and chuckled nervously. "Maybe you can talk to her?" Gallade stepped over as I lowered my head. "Don't mind me; I'm just going to fear for my life." I saw his hands move to the Ralts and she clung even tighter to me. His hands moved away and I closed my eyes. 'Is this how it all ends? Killed by the Pokémon I love so much? What a freaking rip-off.'

"Gardevoir." The mother said. I gulped.

"Please little Ralts, you should go to your parents." I said quietly. "They're worried about you." She shook her head. "Please, I don't want you getting into trouble because of me." She hopped up and started climbing my arm before sliding back down. I chuckled nervously and looked up to see her parents looking down at me curiously. I moved my left hand to my head slowly and removed my hat. "I'm not sure what to say."

"Gallade." He said sternly. "Gal, Galla, lade, Gallade." I gulped as he knelt in front of me, Gardevoir following suit.

"Devoir, Gar, Gardevoir?" She asked. I shook my head slowly.

"I don't understand what you're saying." I said nervously. She grabbed my left hand with hers and my hat with her right. She set it between her and him and looked at my eyes. "I wish I could help you, but she won't let go." She nodded and placed her right hand over my right eye. 'Arceus, you're divine planning is very confusing, but please, if it's okay with you, I would like to live.' She moved her hand all over my face, obscuring my vision.

"Gallade?" He asked. I looked at him as she moved her hand away. She nodded and he grabbed my chin.

'Here I come Arceus.' I thought. 'Please let it be quick at least. If nothing else you'll give me without strings, let me die a quick and painless death.' He turned my head and looked at me while Ralts clung tightly to my arm. When he let go he stood up and stepped back while Gardevoir grabbed my hat and floated further back. The Ralts turned and let go of my arm. She suddenly floated off of my hand and landed by him. I felt my muscles loosen for a moment when my body began moving of its own accord. I stood up and felt my heart hammering in my chest. He extended the blades on his arms while Ralts looked away. 'Beheaded by a Gallade.' I closed my eyes gently. 'I can deal with that. There is some honor in that.' I felt one of his blades against my face, going up my right eye. It stung and I opened my left eye quickly. 'What?' he looked at me for a moment when my right arm rose on its own. 'Oh no.' The back faced him while Gardevoir covered her face with my hat. The Masterball floated out of my pocket and my left hand grabbed it with a snap reflex that was not my own. I looked at Gallade as both of his arms grew pink energy blades. 'Psycho Cut, the closest thing I can get to an honorable death?' He swung both of his arms and an 'X' was traced on both sides of my right hand, without hesitation. It stung and it bled slowly.

"Gallade, Galla, Gal, Gal, Gallade, lade, Gallade." He said quickly. The Masterball floated from my left hand and into my right, stinging the cuts worse than before. He walked over to me and looked into my eyes. Time seemed to stop for a split second and he stepped away. I dropped to my knees again, my hand clenched tight around the ball as it hit the ground. "Gallade." I looked up as the Ralts walked over slowly. Gardevoir floated slowly beside her and set my hat next to my right arm. She leaned in and looked in my eyes as well, but she seemed sorry.

"Gardevoir." She said quietly. I looked down as the Ralts prodded the ball. A black beam came out of the button and the ball opened despite my grip and she was pulled in. The ball didn't shake, but the button pinged once. She was mine, unless I released her. Gardevoir put her right hand on my shoulder and I looked up at her. "Gardevoir." I nodded. She was telling me to keep her safe; it was the only thing I could think of that she could have meant.

"I'll keep her safe." I said quietly. "I promise." They nodded as I looked at the ball. I looked up and they were gone. I flicked the button with my index finger and she appeared in a flash of black and red. She looked up at me as the ball closed. I pressed the button again and it shrank. I smiled as she stepped over to my wounded hand. I lifted it and put the ball on the catch and grabbed my hat. "Hey little friend." She smiled as I put my hat on. "I think we should get going. We've got some travelling to do." She nodded as I held my left hand out to her. She stepped on it and I raised her to my chest. I looked at the tent and shrugged. Nothing of remote value was inside, and I didn't care about it in the first place. I could get more, and none of the items were very special to me. I stood up and started walking away. Perhaps one day the tent would help some other traveler find shelter.

…

It had been a week since I had encountered the wild Gardevoir and Gallade, and I had named the Ralts Liz. My cuts had healed but they had left visible scars. I thought of them as badges of honor, given by a Gallade in exchange for his daughter. She was already quite powerful, and she was a Shiny Pokémon to boot. I was very proud of her. I sat in the hotel suite while she slept on a pillow. I was staring intently at an empty soda can while it shook.

'Come on you tin coward.' I thought angrily. I had somehow become able to use psychic power, but I needed to practice. I wasn't even able to lift an empty tin can. 'You tin weakling, you're going up.' It began lifting when it collapsed into itself. I smiled. 'Not what I wanted, but it's a start.' I stood up and stretched. 'I'll try again when I'm not so tired.' I turned and walked over to the bed and sat on the side opposite of my sleeping partner and looked at her. 'Sleep tight Liz.' I smiled. 'You're the closest friend I've ever had, and I've only known you for a week.' I moved under the covers and closed my eyes, the right one stinging slightly.

…

"Okay Liz, let's try Psybeam again." I said calmly. "You can do it." She nodded and put her hands together and a small sphere of multicolored energy formed between them. I smiled as a small thin beam struck a tin can and made a large dent, sending the can into the air. She looked happy as she looked over at me. "Good Job Liz. You're getting the hang of it." She hopped up as I walked over to her. She was standing on a small stump by a cottage in the woods. I placed my right hand on her head and rubbed her hair. "Keep this up and you'll be the strongest Ralts in all of Kanto." She giggled and swatted at my hand. I moved it away and then level with the stump. She walked onto my hand and we looked down the dirt path. "What do you say Liz? Should we head out for Professor Oak's lab in Pallet?" She nodded and pointed down the path. I saluted with my left hand. "Yes Ma'am." I walked down the path with a big smile.

…

"So, you're here for my prototype Pokédex?" Oak asked. I nodded as Liz looked around the lab from my left arm. "You're from the Hoenn region aren't you?" I nodded again.

"I figured it would be a good change of pace to tackle Kanto first." I said. "The Gym Leaders here are strong, but they should be easier to deal with than the guys back home." Oak nodded while Liz looked about. He walked over to a table and pulled out a small blue notepad sized object and handed it to me.

"This is the prototype Pokédex." He said. "It has data from every region as opposed to my earlier models. However, this data cannot be transferred to the current models." I nodded. "Be careful with it and remember that it contains your trainer data."

"I'll be careful Professor." I said. "It must seem strange that a twenty year old is just registering to be a trainer." He nodded.

"Yes, but as you said, you were waiting to catch your dream Pokémon." He said. I nodded with a smile. "Your love of Pokémon will make you a great trainer. I hope you have a wonderful journey."

"Thank you professor." I said.

…

I walked along the path to the Viridian Forest with Liz in my right arm. I stopped at the entrance and nodded.

"A difficult path lies ahead." I said. "But there isn't a Pokémon in there that can stop us." Liz nodded and pointed ahead while I chuckled. "At once ma'am." She giggled as I walked in. I looked around, keeping to the main path. "Such a nice forest. I wouldn't mind coming back here to camp one day." Liz nodded with her arms crossed.

"Ralts." She said in agreement. I looked around and spotted a Weedle crawling around. She pointed at it.

"You want some backup?" I asked. She nodded and I shrugged. "You'll have to weaken it." She nodded again. "Hey Weedle!" It looked over at us and gave us an angry glare. "Let's teach this little guy the meaning of respect." I dropped to my right knee and set her down. She hopped off of my arm and I smiled. "Let's give him a taste of Confusion." She nodded as the Weedle threw itself into the air. Her eyes glowed blue and the small yellow bug slammed into the ground and skidded. It raised its head and glared at her. "Heads up, he's going to use a String Shot. Use Confusion to counter it and then a Psybeam." She nodded as the Weedle fired the string. It stopped into a ball and fell to the ground. The Weedle looked surprised as Liz held her hands in front of her. It suddenly leapt as Liz fired the thin rainbow colored beam at it. The beam connected and sent it flying several yards. When it hit the ground I pulled out a red and white ball. "Okay Liz, here comes your first battle partner." She hopped as I pressed the button and stood up. I took a pitching stance and threw the capsule like a baseball. It tapped the horn on the Weedle's head and opened. The red beam pulled him in and landed softly on the ground. It shook three times and the button pinged red. I knelt down as Liz jumped several times. "Good job Liz, our first battle, our first win, and our first catch." She turned and smiled as I held my right hand in front of her. She hopped up and high fived it. "It was all you Liz, all you." She giggled as I lowered my hand. She hopped on it and I brought it up to my chest.

"Ralts?" She said quietly. She looked around while I picked up the pokeball. "Ralts." She tugged at my shirt and pointed to my right. I turned to see a boy walking toward me. He had a Pokéball in his right hand.

"Hey, are you a Pokémon trainer?" He asked. He wore a blue shirt with brown shorts and blue and white sneakers. I nodded and he pointed his left index finger at me. "Then I challenge you to a battle." I looked at Liz and she nodded. I flicked the button on the Pokéball and put it on my belt. He threw his ball and a Kakuna appeared. "You can do it Kakuna." I smiled and set Liz on the ground. "What kind of Pokémon is that? I've never seen one like that."

"This is Liz, a Ralts." I said calmly as I stood up. "She's a psychic type, from the Hoenn Region." The boy nodded.

"She may be a psychic type, but you can't beat us." He said. "Kakuna, use String Shot."

"Liz, Confusion and Psybeam." I said quickly. The String Shot stopped in midair and formed a ball, landing harmlessly on the grass.

"Kakuna, Harden." The boy called. Liz pointed her arms as the Kakuna tightened its muscles. She charged the beam as her eyes glowed blue.

"Ralts!" She yelled. The beam fired twice as wide as before, knocking the Kakuna back several yards and onto its side.

"Kakuna!" The boy called. He ran over as Liz lowered her arms. He picked up the Kakuna and it had closed both of its eyes. "You did good buddy." He held up the Pokéball and the red beam returned it within. "We'll get you back to the Pokémon center." He looked up at me as I picked up Liz. "You're pretty good. How long have you been a trainer?" I shrugged.

"About a week and a half." I replied.

"Seriously?" He asked. I nodded. "You're like twice my age and you're just starting?" I shrugged.

"I had a goal to have my first Pokémon be a Ralts." I said. Liz nodded. "Ten years I searched, but Ralts are fast and difficult to catch."

"How did you finally catch her?" He asked. I moved Liz to my left arm and smiled.

"It's a Bit of a story, but I'll just say that fate gave me the chance." I said. The boy nodded. "Well, we have to head out for Pewter." I held out my right hand and he shook it. "Keep training kid. You'll be a great trainer one day." He nodded.

"Thanks." He said. "Maybe we'll meet again someday. I'm Tim." I smiled as he let go of my hand.

"I'm Zero." I said. "See you around Tim." He nodded and walked past me. I looked down at Liz as she giggled. "Let's get going shall we?" She nodded as I pointed my right hand down the path. "Onward to glory." I began to take a step when my stomach rumbled. "And perhaps lunch." Liz giggled as I walked on.

…

I looked at the Masterball as Liz got to know Sting the Weedle. My blood had somehow permanently stained a red 'X' on the top. I lobbed it once and looked as Liz and Sting watched me. I caught it and smiled.

"How are you two getting along?" I asked. I spun the ball on my index finger while Sting hopped once and Liz giggled. "I'm glad we're okay Sting. Sorry if we caught you at a bad time." Sting shook his head and crawled over to me while Liz walked behind him. I held out my right arm and he crawled up to my right shoulder and rubbed his head against my cheek. "Thanks Sting. I just know that we'll all make a great team." Liz hopped onto my hand and I brought her up to my chest. "Whoever the Gym Leader is in Pewter won't stand a chance against us."

…

I sat up and stretched. Liz was sleeping on a small bunched up towel and Sting was on a low branch of a tree. I grabbed my hat and put it on and got out of my sleeping bag as quietly as I could. The sun was barely rising as a flock of Pidgey flew into the air. I grabbed a couple of bags of Pokémon food I had made a few days ago and poured the contents onto some plastic plates. Sting moved and I saw him climbing down the tree while Liz yawned. I set the plates down and grabbed a small bowl and a box of cereal. I set those down beside me as Sting crawled up to his plate and started eating. Liz walked over to her plate and dug in as well. I grabbed two small dishes and filled them with mil and set them near the plates before filling my bowl with the rest of the milk and poured in a healthy amount of cereal.

"Hey Ash, wait up." A girl called.

"Why don't you hurry up?" A boy called back. I looked over behind some bushes as a boy stepped out. I held out my right hand at him with wide eyes.

"Watch out!" I called. It was too late as he tripped over my sleeping bag and landed face first on the ground as the girl and a Pikachu walked out. "Well, I tried." The Pikachu hurried over as the boy got up and groaned. "Are you okay?" He nodded.

"I'm fine." He said.

"Serves you right for not watching where you're going." The girl said as she crossed her arms. She promptly tripped over the towel Liz had slept on before I could warn her.

"And that is what happens when you gloat." I said wearily. She got up and dusted herself off as I pulled out two more bowls. "Well, now that you're here, why don't you join us for breakfast?" They all looked at me as I poured some Pokémon food on a plate and set it beside Liz. "Well, you did trip over my sleeping bag and the towel. It would be the least I can do."

"We don't want to be a bother." The girl said as the boy sat down. I poured him a bowl and looked into my bag. It had a cooling pack in it, but I was out of milk. "Ash, what are you doing?"

"We haven't had any breakfast, and we don't have any left anyway." He replied. "Don't tell me you aren't hungry." I nodded and filled the second and pulled out two cans of condensed milk.

"I'm fresh out of regular." I said. I pulled out two bottles of water and set them beside the cans. "Sorry." They shook their heads. "Well, dig in." Ash poured some water onto a dish I had set out and pulled out a pair of Pokéball.

"Come on out guys." He said. He summoned a Caterpie and a Pidgeotto and they shared the plate with the Pikachu.

…

The boy had introduced himself as Ash Ketchum of Pallet town and the girl's name was Misty. He had just become a trainer a few days after I had left. They had just entered the forest after I had and he had immediately caught the Caterpie and Pidgeotto.

"So you're a Pokémon trainer too?" He asked. I nodded.

"I just started a little over a week ago." I said. "I caught Sting yesterday and Liz was the first Pokémon I ever caught." I rubbed her head with my right hand while Sting slept on my left shoulder. Liz was sitting on my left arm with a smile. "How about you two? What are you up to in this neck of the woods?"

"I'm going to Pewter City to earn my first badge." Ash said proudly. "I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master." I chuckled.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you do." I said. "With confidence like that, I bet you'll go far." He smiled while Misty scoffed. "What about you? What are you hanging around with Ash for?"

"He destroyed my bike and I'm not going to leave his side until he pays me back." She said. I chuckled. "Why are you here?" I shrugged carefully.

"I figured I'd try for the Pokémon League challenge." I said plainly. "After I caught Liz in the Hoenn Region I came here to take my chances." They nodded while I rubbed Liz's head gently. "I got my Pokédex from Professor Oak and I went through Viridian City and now I'm here with Liz and Sting."

"Maybe we'll meet up at the League." Ash said hopefully. I nodded.

"I hope so." I said. "Maybe we'll meet up before if we're lucky." He nodded as his Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. They waved and walked down a side path. I turned to the main path and nodded. "Well, there's no time like the present."


	2. The first badge

Hello, I'm Zero, the main male character. I've been asked by Lord Genesis to do this part. He had some business to take care of, though I don't understand what that was. All he said was that it had something to do with a Council and a threat to his universe. He also wants to say that he really enjoyed writing this 'fic', whatever that is, and he spent about three hours on this one chapter alone. He wants you all to know that there are many more chapters for this and he wants to make sure that you know he wants more reviews so he can get better at what he does. I wouldn't mind him writing the rest of my memoirs for me, so please help him. (Looks at note on nearby wall and nods)

(Holds up sign) Disclaimer: (Lowers sign) Lord Genesis Shadow does not own the rights to the Pokémon series, though he used to be a fan of the anime, back when it was more serious. He is a fan of the games and he loves the Ralts family.  
…

We walked up to the main entrance to the gym. Sting was now a Kakuna and he wasn't able to battle for a while since he couldn't move, and Liz had become a lot stronger.

"This is it Liz." I said. "Our first Gym." I inhaled deeply and smiled while Liz trembled with excitement. I looked at her and saw her smiling up at me. "Are you ready?" She nodded.

"Hey Zero!" A familiar female voice called. I looked over my shoulder to see Ash and Misty running toward me.

"Ash, Misty!" I said. "And here I thought I'd lost you." Misty giggled while they stopped beside me.

"You won't be rid of us that easily." Ash said jokingly. I smiled and turned to the Gym. "So you're going first?" I shrugged.

"If it's okay with you." I said. Ash nodded. "Okay then, in we go." I stepped forward as Liz opened it with her psychic power. We walked in together and it was dark. I looked up at the ceiling while the others looked around "Wow, did the lights blow out?"

"Why are you here?" A voice said. I looked ahead to see a man with spiked hair looking at us.

"I'm Zero Alastor from the Hoenn region." I replied. "I'm here to earn a badge." The lights came on and I could see the man staring at me. He wore a green shirt, brown pants, and a brown vest. He nodded and clapped his hands. A large section of the walls opened and some large platforms with rocks and dirt slid out. I stepped back as they neared and collided.

"How many Pokémon do you have?" The man asked.

"I have two, but one is unable to battle at the moment." I said. "Liz and a Kakuna named Sting." He nodded.

"Then we will have a one on one match." He said. "My name is Brock. I hope you prove worthy." I nodded and stepped onto the platform. I set Liz down and she ran forward a few feet. He pulled out a Pokéball and threw it. A Geodude appeared and I smiled. "Let the battle begin." The Geodude raised its arms and floated off of the ground. "Geodude, use Tackle." The Geodude rushed forward and Liz jumped aside. The Geodude crashed into a stone and shook.

"Okay Liz, let's start off with Confusion." I called. Liz nodded and her eyes glowed blue. Brock looked startled as his Geodude was tossed across the field.

"Geodude, are you okay?" Brock called. The Geodude floated up and looked at him with a nod. "Okay then, let's go with another tackle, and keep at it."

"Dude!" Geodude yelled. It flew at Liz and she jumped aside.

"Liz, let's finish this with Psybeam." I called. Liz nodded as Geodude turned around. She charged the beam as he drew closer. I pointed at him and smiled. "Fire!"

"Ral, Ralts!" Liz yelled. She fired the beam before Brock could say anything. The beam struck the surprised Geodude and it hit the ground and skidded back near the right side of the gym. Liz jumped up as Brock pulled out his Pokéball.

"Geodude, return." He said. Liz ran over to me as I knelt down. She ran up to me and I picked her up and hugged her.

"Great job Liz." I said. "I knew you could do it." She smiled as I stood up. I looked to see Brock pulling a badge out of his vest pocket. He held it out and I held out my left hand. He tossed it as I smiled. I caught it and looked at it. Liz smiled as he nodded. "Thank you Brock. That was a great battle."

"You've earned that Zero." He replied. I nodded. I looked at Liz as she began glowing.

"Liz?" I asked. I knelt and set her down as she began growing in size and shape. I smiled as everyone else stared.

"What's going on?" Misty asked. I smiled wider. "Is she evolving?" I nodded as the glow stopped. Liz had her eyes closed and her hands clasped in front of her. "Wow, she's so cute." Liz opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Kirlia?" She asked. I smiled and held out my right hand. She smiled and took it in her right. "Kir?" I nodded and stood up.  
…

We sat on the bed of the hotel room watching the sun setting. Ash had lost to Brock and was training to try again. Liz sat with her legs crossed and Sting sat beside us on his side since he couldn't balance on the sheet.

"Kakuna." He said quietly. I looked down at him as he stared up at me. I picked him up and propped him against my left side. "Kaku."

"No problem Sting." I said. Liz stood up and walked over and sat to the right of me with her legs over the edge. "We sure get a nice view from here." Liz nodded and grabbed my right hand while Sting shook, which was his version of a nod. She leaned against me and sighed.

"Kirlia." She said quietly. I looked at her and smiled.

"Kakuna." Sting said quickly. I looked at him as a crack appeared on the back of his shell.

"Oh boy, heads up Liz." I said. "He's coming out." She let go of my hand and I stood up. I picked Sting up and set him against the wall, which he quickly adhered to as the crack grew. I stepped back while Liz stood up on the bed. "Come on Sting, you can do it." I smiled as the crack opened wide and a pair of wings spread out.

"Kirlia." Liz said quietly. Sting had stepped out of his shell as a Beedrill. He buzzed and turned to me. He had one large stinger on his tail and a stinger on the end of his two forward legs. He landed and walked over to me and held out his right stinger. I took the inner side and shook it.

"Glad to see you like this Sting." I said happily. He buzzed and nodded. He looked over to Liz and bowed. She curtsied and giggled.  
…

I stretched as Sting yawned and returned to the ball. He enjoyed sleeping during the day to conserve energy, but he went out at night for reasons yet unknown. I stood up as Liz rolled onto her other side. I moved my hat toward my hand and stopped myself. I focused my mind and the hat shook quietly and moved closer to me. I smiled and grabbed it. I put it on and looked out the window. The sun was starting to rise and I saw Ash heading to the Gym.

'He's stubborn; I can safely give him that.' I thought with a smile. I looked over at Liz as she yawned and sat up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at me. "Good morning Liz." She stretched and yawned again. I smiled and walked over to Sting's Pokéball. I picked it up and pressed the button and put it on my belt. I stretched again and popped my right elbow. "There we go." I rubbed my elbow for a moment as Liz hopped off the bed.

"Kir, lia, Kirli, Likir, Kirlia?" She asked. She pointed to the bed, and I assumed she was asking if we should make it. I smiled and pointed my hand at it.

"Should we make the bed?" I asked. "Is that what you mean?" She nodded and I smiled. "I guess. But first, a little trick I picked up." I concentrated and the covers fluttered. She gasped as the covers began moving up the bed. I felt a minor pain in my head so I stopped. "I'm still working on it." She smiled and used her powers to make the bed in ten seconds. I crossed my arms and faked a frown while turning away. "Showoff." She giggled as I turned back. "You've been doing this longer than me. Give me a month and I'll be close." She giggled more as I looked out the window. "Ash is going back to the Gym. Do you want to go watch?" I turned to see her nodding.  
…

We walked out of the hotel to see Ash walking down the road away from the Gym.

"What did we miss?" I mused. Liz pulled at my right hand and pointed at me with a frown. "So I stop by the vending machine for a couple of cans of lemonade. It isn't my fault it wouldn't take my money." She shook her head. "How was I supposed to know that the coin slot was jammed?" I looked to see Brock running up to Ash with a badge in his right hand. "What in the world did we miss?" She tugged my hand and pointed to the mountains to the east. "You don't want to step in on this?" She nodded and pointed to the mountains and I shrugged. "Okay, but I for one think we might be missing out on something interesting." She giggled and started walking. I smiled and followed while she held my right hand.  
…

We walked up a flight of stairs toward the main cave. Several trainers had challenged us and lost. A man had sold me a Magikarp, saying that it was a wonderful Pokémon if raised properly. I smiled and looked at the Pokéball.

"Kir, lia, Kir, Kirli, Kirlia." Liz called quietly. I looked down as she pointed to a small raised basin full of water.

"Okay, let's meet our new friend." I said. I opened the ball and the Magikarp appeared in the water. It looked up at me and then it looked around.

"Karp?" It asked. I looked at it for a moment and figured it for a male.

"Hello Magikarp." I said. He looked up at me for a moment and I moved my left hand on top of his head. He smiled and pushed against my hand while I rubbed him. "I hope we get along."

"Karp, Karp, Karp." He said happily.

"Would you mind if I called you Garth?" I asked. He splashed happily as I rubbed his head. "Okay then, Garth the Magikarp it is." Liz pulled herself up and looked at him. She held out her right hand and he turned to her. She put her hand on him and patted him softly. "I know we're going to be good friends Garth."

"Hey, you with the Magikarp!" A female voice called. I turned to see a woman with long red hair next to a man with short blue hair. Between them was a Meowth standing on his hind legs. "Hand over your Pokémon or you're in for some trouble." I chuckled and looked at Garth.

"Don't you look away from us!" The man said. "We're Team Rocket."

"Yeah, and we don't take no guff from the likes o' you." Another voice said. I looked at them as the Meowth held out one of his front paws at me. "What are you lookin' at?" Liz gasped and Garth had his mouth open wide.

"Holy Arceus, a talking Meowth." I said quietly. The Meowth crossed its front paws like arms. "Now that is something you just don't see very often." I looked back at Garth. "Well, these are Pokémon thieves Garth, so watch closely." He nodded and looked at them intently, as though he were angry. "Liz, I think we should do this fast, so we can get to Cerulean." She nodded as I pointed at them. "Let's lead off with a Psybeam, followed by a Shadow Ball." She nodded as the trio reached for their Pokéball. She charged the beam quickly and fired it faster than usual. They all screamed as it crashed into the ground in front of them. They coughed as Liz formed a ball of darkness. The Meowth yelled as it grew bigger.

"Quick, do something!" The woman yelled. They pulled the Pokéball off their belts when Liz threw the large sphere of darkness. They screamed and started to turn when it hit the ground behind them, sending them flying into a small mining cart. The switch was thrown and it moved onto a steep downhill slope. "You haven't seen the last of us!" They slid down the slope with a trio of loud screams.

"I guess that's how they 'roll'." I said. Liz swatted my right knee and I looked down at her. "What? They roll down a hill; I toss off a cheesy one liner. That's how it works." She shook her head. I looked over at Garth as he splashed happily. I chuckled and pulled out his Pokéball. "Okay Garth, we've got to get going. We'll let you out in a bit." He splashed as the red beam returned him to his ball.  
…

I sat next to the fire I had built while Liz, Sting, and Garth ate their food quietly. I had a cheese sandwich in my right hand, which rested on my right knee. I smiled at how happy they were. I looked around for a moment before taking a bite of my sandwich.

"Kirlia?" Liz called. I looked at her and smiled. I swallowed my bite as she stepped over to me. She had already finished her dinner while Sting and Garth got to know each other. She sat to the left of me and I set my left hand on her head. She smiled as I pet her.

"I'm okay Liz." I said. "I'm just thinking about that talking Meowth." She giggled as I pet one of her horns. "I've never seen a talking Pokémon before." I felt a strange happiness in my mind. "Liz, is that you?" She looked up at me and I felt a small bit of confusion. "You're transmitting your feelings." She looked at me for a moment and nodded with a smile. I felt some of her happiness and smiled as well. I looked at the watch on my left wrist from the corner of my eye and quickly finished my sandwich. "We should call it a day." She nodded as I sat on my sleeping bag.

"Kirlia." She said quietly. She sat beside me as I pulled out a small blanket. Sting took off and flew up to a small hole in a wall and disappeared. He would be back by morning as usual. I set the blanket over her and looked at Garth, who slapped his ball with one of his whiskers and he returned to the confines.

"Good night Liz." I said. She lay down next to me and looked at me for a moment before closing her eyes. I smiled and closed my own. I felt my right eye stinging, but I didn't really worry about it.  
…

"Kirlia." Liz called. I moved my right hand toward her and she grabbed it and shook it. "Kirlia." I opened my left eye and looked as a gold 'X' appeared on the back of my hand. I tried to open my right eye but it felt stuck. I looked at Liz and felt her worry. She held my hand tightly as I tried to sit up.

"What's going on?" I asked. She let go of my hand as I sat up. She looked scared as I twitched my right eyelid. I looked at a small spoon and held out my right hand. It flew to my hand quickly and Liz gasped. "This is getting stranger by the minute." I looked at my reflection and saw the scar on my eye glowing as well. "What did your father do to me?" The glow faded quickly and I opened my eye. It was red, and it looked like that of a Gallade. "This is getting freaky."

"Kirlia, Kir, lia, Kirl, Kirlia, Kir, lia." She said quickly. I shook my head.

"I don't think it's dangerous." I said. "I think your father just did something to me to help me keep you safe." She nodded. "My psychic powers are stronger, that's a given. But what about my hand?" I let go of the spoon and it floated over to my backpack. I pulled off my right glove and arched my left eyebrow. The scar was still there, but my hand was otherwise unchanged. "Maybe that was just for show." Liz shook her head and my jacket sleeve rolled up. My forearm was turning green, ending just short of the end of the sleeve. "Well, this is unexpected." She nodded.

"Lia, Kirl, Kir, Kir, lia, Kir, Kirlia." She said quickly. She moved her right arm like her fathers' when he swung them. I nodded.

"You think I might be able to do that soon?" I asked. She nodded. I thought about it and shrugged. "You have a very overprotective father. Giving me the ability to use psychic powers and the arm of a Gallade?" I shook my head. "He really treasures you." She nodded and smiled. "Well, as long as my hand stays normal, I should be able to hide this." I thought about my eye. "But I might have to think up a clever story." She pointed to her own right eye and then at mine. "Contact lenses maybe?" She nodded. "I wear one contact and I lost the other. If anyone sees my arm, it's a tattoo." She smiled and nodded as I moved the sleeve back over my arm. I stood up and made my sleeping back roll itself up and go into my bag. I heard a buzzing as Sting flew into the cavern. I tossed his ball into the air and he tapped it with one of his foreleg stingers and recalled himself. I caught the ball and shrunk it. I summoned Garth's ball and did the same and put them both on my belt. I put on my glove and mentally packed our gear. "Well, we might as well head out." I slung my kit over my left shoulder and held my right hand out to Liz. She nodded and took my hand in her own.  
…

"Wow, so this is Cerulean City." I said. I stood at the main entrance to the city with Liz on my shoulders. I felt her joy as I stretched. "Shall we find a hotel and take care of that first?" She patted my head twice and I chuckled. I walked forward when a woman ran up to me. It was Officer Jenny, and she looked worried. She stopped in front of me and looked at me for a moment. I had my sunglasses on so she didn't see my eye.

"Are you Zero Alastor?" She asked quickly. I nodded and pulled out my Pokédex. She took it and opened it. She looked at it and nodded before handing it back to me. "Sorry about this but I need to ask you some questions about your trip through Mount Moon." I nodded. "Did you defeat three members of Team Rocket? Jesse, James, and a talking Meowth?" I nodded. "Can you tell me what other Pokémon they had?" I shook my head.

"We sent them packing before they could summon them." I explained. "Liz used Psybeam and Shadow ball and they fell into a mine cart and it rolled down the side of the mountain." Liz nodded as Officer Jenny looked at her.

"Are you from the Hoenn region?" She asked. I nodded. "And this is your Kirlia?" I nodded again.

"She's the first Pokémon I've ever caught." I said calmly. Jenny nodded.

"One last question." She said. "I hear rumors that you bought a Magikarp from a travelling salesman?" I nodded. "Are you aware that he may have scammed you out of your money?" I shrugged. "He's been selling Magikarp to a lot of people for more money than they're worth. We've prepared a refund system if you'd like your money back." I shook my head.

"I've got more money than I can ever use." I said quietly. "I inherited a fortune for being the last heir to a king that died centuries ago. I've also inherited dozens of companies that my family owned, and the stocks and percentages of the company's money keep me living comfortably." She looked surprised. "Besides, I like my Magikarp. I call him Garth, and I just know he'll grow to be a very powerful Gyarados one day." She nodded.

"Well, I guess I'll let you go on your way." She said. I nodded and smiled.

"If you ever need anything, I'll be glad to help." I said. She held out her right hand and I shook it. "Don't work too hard now." She smiled and walked away. Liz patted my head and pointed to a nearby hotel. "Okay Liz, okay. I'm going, cool your jets." She giggled as I walked toward the hotel.  
…

"Wow, this is a nice room." I said quietly. Liz walked in and looked around before looking at me. "I am leaving a nice review just for how clean this room is." She giggled and walked over to the bed in the other room. I set my pack on the ground and pulled out the Pokéball on my belt. I opened Sting's ball and he buzzed as he looked around. The sun was already setting so he looked at the window. I walked over and opened it and he buzzed for a moment. "See you in the morning Sting." He nodded and flew out the window without another word. I looked at a large fish tank and opened Garth's Pokéball. He appeared on the floor and flopped. "Hang on Garth; I'll get you into the tank. I just couldn't zap you in right away." He stopped flopping and I picked him up. I rubbed his head and opened the top of the tank. I put him in slowly and he moved down and looked around. He looked happy so I grabbed his food out of my bag and put a handful in.

"Karp." He said happily. He ate quickly and smiled.

"I'm glad you like it Garth." I said with a smile. "You've hit the jackpot with me as your trainer." He nodded and went back to his food. "I'll see you in the morning Garth. For now, I need to clean up." I walked away as he smiled. I walked into the bedroom and Liz was sitting on the bed. "Hey Liz." She smiled. "How do you like the room so far?" She nodded and looked at the bathroom. "Do you want to wash up before I take a shower?" She nodded and I opened the door for her. She hopped off the bed and walked up to me. "What is it?" She grabbed my right hand and pulled me to the door. "What are you doing?" I chuckled as she pointed to the tub. "You want me to wash you?" She shook her head. "You want me to get the water ready?" She shook her head again. "You want me to take a bath with you?" She nodded and I blushed. "I don't know Liz, I was thinking of taking a shower." She shook her head as the water started on its own. "Okay, but you mind your own okay?" She giggled and nodded. "I don't want this getting weird between us."

"Kirlia." She said with a nod. She looked at the tub and felt the water while I walked out.

"I just need to set my stuff over here." I said. I put my hat and sunglasses on the bed and pulled off my gloves. The green had spread to my wrist, meaning I might soon be wearing regular gloves. I looked at the scar and smiled. I took off my coat and set it over a chair. I looked at my right arm and sighed. It was the same shade of green as the Gallade. I thought about his blade and felt a tingling at my elbow. It began growing back and I looked at the horn. "This is just amazing." The small horn retracted as I turned my arm over. I sat on the bed and pulled off my boots and socks. My feet were unchanged so I figured the change was limited to my eye and my arm. I looked at the bathroom to see Liz looking out at me. I raised my right hand and waved at her. "I'll be along shortly. I just need to get my other clothes ready." She nodded and stepped back in. I grabbed my bag and pulled out another black shirt and pair of pants. I pulled out a pair of blue boxers and put them under the pants. I took off my shirt and looked at my right shoulder. The green ran up my bicep and was touching my shoulder slightly. "Wow, how far is this going to extend? I hope this doesn't happen around my eye or I'm calling it another tattoo." I pulled off my pants as the water stopped running and looked at my legs. There wasn't a trace of green on them. I grabbed a pair of towels and a robe and walked into the bathroom. Liz stood by the tub and was looking into it as I hung the robe on the door.

"Kirlia." She said calmly. She put her hand in the water and smiled as I closed the door. She turned around as I hung the towels on the rack by the tub. I turned to her and smiled. She closed her eyes and I quickly picked her up, making her gasp. I set her into the water and she giggled. It was hot, but not painfully so. "Kirli, lia, Kirlia." I smiled and motioned for her to turn away.

"Okay Liz, look away." I said. She giggled and looked away. I removed my boxers and stepped in and sat quickly, but no water spilled. "Okay, now let's get cleaned up." She giggled as I grabbed the soap. "Where did they put the shampoo?" She looked around and pointed to the sink. "Great, I'm not getting up, so that thing is coming to me." I held out my right hand and the bottle floated over. "I think I'm getting the hang of this." I set the bottle beside the tub and lathered my hands quickly and handed her the soap as she moved to the other side of the tub. She lathered her hands and set the soap in the holder. I cleaned up and down my arms and soaked them off. I was using my powers to loosen the dirt on my legs.

"Kirlia?" She asked. I looked up to see her facing away. The soap hovered in front of me and I shook my head as I grabbed it. I lathered my hands and set the soap on the shelf.

"I hope I'm not spoiling you." I said with a chuckle. She giggled as I rubbed the soap onto her back. I rinsed my hands and cupped some water and rinsed her back. She giggled as I grabbed the shampoo. I poured some of it into my left hand and set it back on the floor. She started to turn her head when I rubbed her head with my left hand. "I washed your back, so I may as well get your hair while I'm here." She giggled as I rubbed her hair with both of my hands. After a moment I saw a ball of water float up. I moved my hands away as it rinsed her hair. I grabbed the shampoo again after I rinsed my hands. I poured it on my hair and set the bottle down. I massaged my scalp as Liz watched. I smiled and used my power to summon a small tower of water. She giggled as I moved it over my head and let it flow onto my hair. "Okay, that takes care of that." She nodded and stood up. She held my left hand and stepped out of the tub. One of the towels floated over to her and she giggled again. I grabbed the other towel and held it in front of me as I stood up, making sure she didn't see anything. "Your parents wanted me to protect you, and that means from this too." She giggled as I wrapped the towel around my waist.  
…

I sat at the edge of the bed, just staring at my right arm. I grew and retracted the blade, wondering if I could use any of Gallade's special attacks, like Psycho cut. I looked at a soda can I had finished minutes ago. I floated it into the air and stood up. Liz was sound asleep and I hoped I wouldn't wake her. I grew the blade about a foot and held my arm up. I swung my arm with the blade out and there was no sound. I moved the can and let go of the bottom and it stayed together. I held my arm at my side and concentrated on my blade.

'Psycho cut, focus on the energy.' I thought. 'This will slice the can in half without touching it.' I swung my arm and there was a sharp sound in the air. I set the can on my left hand and retracted the blade. I looked at it and let go of my psychic hold on it. The top half slid onto my hand and I smiled. 'I can use Psycho cut, and I might be able to use other moves if I take the time.' I looked to see Liz sleeping peacefully. I set the can in a trash bin and stretched. I moved silently under the covers and closed my eyes.


	3. Two new friends

Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. If I did, I would have a lot more money and I would probably not be posting on .

Okay, here we have chapter three of The Man with the Gallade's Arm. If you ask me, that kind of sounds like it would make a great title for a James Bond crossover fic. Regardless, this chapter we have a character from Diamond and Pearl joining, and it may seem like a bit of a stretch. I needed a way to bring out some of Zero's past, so I figured that this would be my best way to do so. Anyone who has a problem with the way I did this, let me know. I would also like to take this time to thank DragonLord Seth for his reviews, as he is the only one so far.

Honestly, I'm surprised at how many people are reading this fic. Going by the number of readers, I think I'm doing fairly well at writing this. I guess I'll unleash another fic I've prepared. It was written long before this one, but I expect it to do about as well. If you'd like to read it, please review and let me know.

Lastly, I'd like to say that it is quite refreshing to be back in the writing game. I've spent a long time away from , but I felt like I wasn't doing as good of a job as I could as a writer. My technique was weak and not well thought out, I barely gave a second glance to plot errors and grammar, and I barely tried to put together a feasible storyline. I've been practicing, working hard on my technique, and I feel like I've made a good deal of progress. I've not been back a week, but I plan to make up for lost time. A few setbacks over the past few days have slowed me down, but there is nary a force that can hold back one such as I. I'm back, and this time I'm ready.  
…

I stretched and looked over to the window as Sting flew in. He looked over at me and stared at my right arm intently.

"Hey Sting." I said. I held up my arm. I had told him about what happened, and I found out that he had told Garth. "I guess I should tell you that I've obviously changed." He buzzed. "That injury Gallade gave me is changing my body. I have psychic powers and I have the right arm of a Gallade." He buzzed and nodded. I grabbed his ball and lobbed it to him, and he tapped the tip of his right stinger at it. The red beam pulled him in while Liz stirred quietly. I stretched and smiled. She sat up slowly and slowly opened her eyes. I used my power to pull Sting's ball over to me. I flicked the button and put it on my belt as she stretched. "Good morning Liz."

"Kirlia." She said tiredly. I walked over to the tank Garth was in to see him moving about energetically.

"Hey Garth." I said. He turned to me and smiled. He opened his mouth and several bubbles issued. "I'm glad you're happy buddy, because today we're taking on the Cerulean Gym." I moved the top of the tank and he surfaced. I grabbed his ball and flicked the button. I pointed the button at him and pressed the recall switch and the beam returned him to the inside. I put the ball on the belt as Liz walked out of the bedroom. "Hey Liz. Are you ready to head on to the next Gym?" She yawned and stretched. I smiled and grabbed my coat and hat. I put the hat on and then the coat. I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder.  
…

I looked up at the sign and smiled. Liz tugged at my right hand and I looked down at her. She pointed to the right and I looked to see three girls walking our way. One had blond hair, one had blue hair like me, and the third had pink hair.

"So, do you think we'll have any challengers today?" The blond asked. The pink haired one pointed at me.

"I think I see one already." She said. They walked up while Liz tugged at my hand. I knelt down and she held her arms up to me. I smiled and picked her up and set her on my shoulders. She wrapped her arms around my hat and the three girls smiled. "Are you here to challenge us for a badge?" I nodded.

"Wow, such a nice trainer." The blue haired girl said. I smiled as they walked past me. "We'll see you inside." I nodded as Liz tapped my hat.

"Okay Liz, we're going in, hold your Rapidash." I said. I walked up to the door and pushed it open. I walked in and followed the signs that lead to the Gym. I opened the marked door and whistled. "Now this is an awesome gym." I looked to see the blond girl waiting on the opposite side.

"How many Pokémon do you have?" She called. I stepped on the marked area and knelt.

"Three." I called back. "Liz, Sting, and Garth." She pulled out a Pokéball and smiled.

"Well, I've only got two, so let's do this one on one." She said. "Two each." I nodded and pulled out Garth's Pokéball as she threw hers. "Alright Seaking, let's get this show started." A large golden fish appeared in the water and submerged.

"Okay Garth, I've got complete faith in you buddy." I said quietly. I opened the Pokéball. "So let's make this a memorable first battle." He appeared in the water and the blond girl laughed loudly as he surfaced.

"A Magikarp?" She asked. "Are you sure about this? He's not exactly suited for a fight against a Seaking." I knelt, chuckled, and patted Garth on his back fin.

"I have total faith that Garth can do this." I said. Garth jumped up quite high and landed with a small splash. I stood up as the girl sighed.

"Okay, but this won't last long." She said. She pointed to Garth as her Seaking surfaced. "Okay Seaking, use Horn Attack." The Seaking shot forward as Garth scowled.

"Garth, jump into the air and tackle on the way down." I said quickly. Garth jumped up again as the Seaking stopped before hitting my platform. It looked up as Garth came back down hard on top of it. "Keep it up Garth, use Tackle again." He jumped up slightly as the Seaking surfaced with an angry glare.

"Seaking, dodge it!" The girl said loudly. It was too late as Garth landed again.

"Once more Garth, you're doing great." I called. Garth shot up and landed again, harder than before, knocking the Seaking out.

"Seaking, are you okay?" The girl called. Seaking floated up with a dazed look. She sighed and pulled out her Pokéball as Garth splashed happily. "Man that Magikarp is fast." He splashed more furiously and suddenly sank as Seaking returned to his ball.

"Garth, are you okay buddy?" I asked. A bright glow issued from where he was moments before. His body grew long and serpentine. He surfaced as a red Gyarados and roared while the girls stared in awe. A red Gyarados was incredibly rare, especially coming from a normal Magikarp. "Garth, you big lug you." He turned to me and stared for a moment before moving his head down by Liz and me. He closed his eyes as I moved up close and set my arms against his head. "You did it Garth, you beat that Seaking." I patted him and he growled happily. "We knew you could do it." He moved away and looked over at the blond girl. "So, who's up next?" She smiled and tossed her second Pokéball.

"Let's go Dewgong." She called. I smiled as the Dewgong appeared in the water. "Are you sticking with Garth?" I looked up at him and he nodded.

"He looks like he's raring to break in his new body." I said confidently. "I'd be mean to say no." She nodded and pointed at Garth.

"Let's go Dewgong; use Ice beam!" She called. Dewgong quickly jumped up and the bright blue energy appeared in its open mouth.

"Dodge it and use tackle." I called. Garth narrowly avoided the beam and the water around Liz and I turned to a sheet of ice. He dove under the water and shot toward Dewgong as it landed with a splash.

"Use Headbutt Dewgong." She called. Garth barely moved aside and slammed his tail into Dewgong.

"Turn and use Bite!" I called. He turned and barely missed Dewgong.

"Hit him with a Headbutt." The girl called. I winced as Dewgong spun and hit Garth with a painful hit to his head. He opened his mouth angrily, only to be hit with another Headbutt. His eyes closed and his head floated to the surface. "Sorry Garth, but we can't let you win easily." I pulled out his ball and pointed it at him. He opened his eyes and nodded weakly.

"You did a great job Garth." I said. "Return." The beam struck him and he returned to the ball. "That's one strong Dewgong." I looked at Liz. "Let's show them how we do things back home." She nodded and teleported to a stand several yards from where I stood.

"I hope you know what you're doing." The girl taunted. I waved politely at her. "Why don't you start?" Dewgong sat in the water watching us. I shrugged.

"If you insist." I said. "I wish we had more time to battle, but I think I should get Garth checked into a Pokémon Center soon." I pointed at Dewgong and smiled. "Sorry about this but, Liz, let's lead off with confusion." Liz nodded and the girl looked scared as Dewgong rose out of the water. "Let's take a bow." Liz giggled and bowed while Dewgong was slammed onto the platform opposite of her. "Let's wave to the crowd now Liz." She stood up and waved and Dewgong was thrown into the water harshly. It surfaced a few seconds later, out colder than the ice in front of me. "And that's all she wrote." Liz teleported next to me and giggled. I knelt down and held my arms out. She stepped in and hugged me. "Great job Liz. I knew you could do it." She smiled as I picked her up. She turned around as I set her on my shoulders.

"Wow, I was so not expecting her to be a psychic Pokémon." The blue haired girl said. She walked over with a tear shaped badge in her right hand. "You really know how to raise your Pokémon." I smiled as she held out the badge. "You've more than earned this." I held out my right hand and she placed in on my palm.

"I do what I can, but it was Liz and Garth out there doing the hard part." I said.  
…

We sat in the waiting room while Nurse Joy tended to Garth. I was looking around at the other trainers, musing what kinds of Pokémon they had based on their looks. There were three of them in all, two young boys and a woman of about sixteen. I figured the two boys to have Rattata or Bellsprout and she looked like she might have an Oddish or maybe a Gloom.

"Mr. Alastor?" Nurse Joy asked. Liz and I stood up and walked up to the front desk. "Your Gyarados is ready to go." She handed me the Pokéball and I nodded.

"Thank you Nurse Joy." I said. She smiled and bowed.

"Will you be staying the night?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, we've got a room at a hotel down the road." I replied. She nodded and looked over at the door. "Thanks again Nurse Joy." She nodded again. I turned and walked to the door and a loud crash was heard. I ran to the door and looked out to see a bunch of people gathering around a building.  
…

Several expensive pieces of technology had been stolen from a building near the Pokémon Center. Mostly vacuum stuff and circuit boards. I walked over to the road leading from town and Liz was sitting on my shoulders.

"So Liz, should we go to Vermillion City?" I asked. She patted my hat brim and I nodded. "Alright then, onward to a city by the water."  
…

I walked along happily with Liz on my shoulders. We were traveling along a river so Garth was swimming alongside us while Sting flew above us. It was a good while until we would arrive, at least a day and a half at a normal walk. I looked around while Liz hummed a carefree tune. I spotted some movement and stopped. Sting landed next to me and Garth looked over while Liz hummed a bit quieter. A bush rustled and a Mawile walked out. I smiled and knelt down while it looked over at us. It was very small, only two feet at the most. It looked at us while Liz hopped off of my shoulders.

"Hello there." I said. It walked closer and I stood up. It gave me a strange glare and it turned to show the larger mouth on the back of its head. It growled and turned its head to look at me. "Everyone, should we capture this little Steel type?" I looked around and the others all nodded. "Sting, you've only fought once. How would you like to give it a shot?" He buzzed and shook his head. "You don't feel like going in?" He nodded. "Okay, then I guess Liz?" I looked at her and she nodded. "All righty then, let's get this little skirmish underway." I looked at the Mawile and it glared at me. "Liz, let's start with confusion and transition into a Psybeam." She nodded and the Mawile slowly rose into the air, kicking and squirming. I pulled out a blue and yellow ball and pressed a button. Steel types were notorious at being able to resist a normal Pokéball under the best of circumstances, so I bought a dozen 'Great' ball to get ready for any Steel Pokémon I could come across.

"Mawile!" It yelled. I smiled as the Psybeam connected to its small frame. It fell to the ground and fought to stand. It looked like it was crying and I remembered what I had heard. Mawile were famous for looking cute and helpless until they had a chance to trap their targets with the mouth on their backs. "Mawile." It pretended to sob, using the attack Fake Tears to catch us off guard.

"Don't fall for it Liz, it isn't really crying." I said calmly. I pointed at it for a moment. "One more Psybeam should do it." Liz nodded and charged the beam while Mawile stood up. It growled and opened its normal mouth. A shockwave shot out and hit Liz, staggering her. "Sonic boom, a useful move against a ranged foe. Are you okay Liz?" She nodded and fired the beam, hitting Mawile in the chest. It knelt as Liz readied another, just to be safe. "Okay, let's give this ball a good test." I tossed the Greatball and it hit Mawile on its head. It was pulled in and the ball landed softly on the ground. It shook twice before opening and flying several feet away, Mawile landing in the kneeling position. "Liz, one more Psybeam and we'll try again." She nodded and fired the ready beam, sending the Mawile up against a tree.

"Whoa, a real Pokémon trainer." A young voice called. I walked up to the Mawile and grabbed the ball along the way. It was in decent shape, but it wouldn't hold. I set it in my pocket and pulled out another one. I tapped the unconscious Pokémon with it and it went in. The ball shook in my hand three times and it made a quiet ping. I smiled and pressed the button. I would heal it tonight and find out what gender it was. I put the ball on my belt and turned to see a couple of little kids. "Wow, that was so cool." The little boy was currently speaking, and a little girl was standing next to him. I smiled and lowered the tip of my hat briefly before walking over to Liz.

"How do you feel Liz?" I asked. She smiled and dusted her skirt off. I looked her over and saw a couple of scratches and a slight bruise. I smiled and knelt by her while Sting buzzed over to Garth, who was looking at the kids.

"Is she okay mister?" The little girl asked. I pulled out a potion and Liz giggled.

"She's okay." I said. "Just a few scratches and a small bruise." Liz held out her right arm and I sprayed the potion over the scratches. She closed her eyes and I sprayed a bit on her left cheek.

"What kind of Pokémon is she?" The boy asked. I sprayed the last on her left shoulder.

"She's a Kirlia, a powerful psychic type from Hoenn." I replied. "The Pokémon I just caught is called a Mawile, a small but powerful steel type, also from Hoenn."

"Wow, you're so cool." They both said. I smiled as Liz held out her arms. I put the empty potion bottle away and picked her up. I set her on my shoulders as Sting walked over. The kids looked at him and held up their hands excitedly.

"Cool, a Beedrill." The boy said.

"And a Red Gyarados." The girl added. "This is so cool."  
…

I looked up at the stars. We had come to a lake and Garth was happily exploring it. Sting had flown away some time ago and was likely looking for food. Liz sat next to a roaring fire while I went over my new Pokémon's wounds.

"Sorry about the injuries, but you put up a lot of unnecessary resistance." I said. It was a female Mawile. "So, are there anymore places I should check?" She shook her head and blushed. "Are you sure? We're a couple of days from the nearest Pokémon Center." She blushed deeper and I set the potion bottle down in front of her. "Just point the nozzle at the injury and squeeze the bottle." She nodded as I stood up. "Don't worry; I'm not a bad guy. I'll be by the fire with Liz." She nodded again as I patted the top of her head. "I'm sure we'll get along." I walked past her as she picked up the bottle, the large mouth behind her following me. I sat down by Liz as she yawned. "Feeling tired Liz?" She nodded. "Well, I don't blame you. We've had a long day." She looked up at the setting sun while I leaned back against a stump and closed my eyes. "Well, two more days walking should set us at Vermillion." I opened my eyes and thought about my sunglasses for a moment. "I wonder how your parents are doing." I looked at her and she gave me a quizzical look. "Well, your father did leave me with this scar and these changes." She nodded while I looked over at Mawile. I smiled as she walked over to me and sat down to my left. I set my left hand on the top of her head and let it sit there. "How do you feel now? Did you take care of those remaining injuries?" She nodded and pushed my hand away. I smiled and put my hands behind my head. "We've got a long way to go, and I'd like to let you know that we've got a great deal of battles ahead of us. We need to work together." I looked at Liz as she leaned onto my right side. "Liz and I get along great, Sting is happy with our relationship, and Garth is having a good time." I looked over to the lake as he surfaced and looked at me. He moved up to the shore and moved onto the ground and moved over to us like a giant serpent. He let out a content growl and circled us before laying his head down by Liz. "Garth used to be with a travelling salesman and we bought him for a fair price. We became fast friends and he did a great job in his first battle." He growled quietly and closed his eyes. "He was just a little Magikarp and he beat a Seaking without getting a single hit." I looked at Mawile as she moved to her left side and moved her larger mouth to her front and closed her eyes. "Sweet dreams Mawile." She yawned and I looked up at the sky. I levitated my hat over to me and I set it over my face. I closed my eyes and smiled. 'All in all, I would have to call this a good day.'  
…

I adjusted my hat and looked down at my lap. Liz had transitioned onto me at some point during the night. I smiled as I looked her over. She was curled up cutely with her hands under her left cheek. I placed my right hand on her hair and gently stroked it. I looked down at Mawile and I couldn't help but smile slightly wider. She had her 'hair' in a gentle hug.

"Oh wow, a Red Gyarados." A female voice called. Garth raised his head and looked around. He drew his head up about twelve feet and looked around the area before settling on a spot straight ahead of me, just beyond his tail. "I didn't think they could be real." Whoever it was sounded very happy.

"What's up Garth?" I asked. Mawile stirred as Sting's buzzing became audible. Garth moved over to the water slowly, still being sleepy.

"Where are you going?" The female asked. "Come on, you're the coolest Gyarados I've ever seen. I just want to pet your scales." She groaned and looked over at me as Sting set down a few feet to my right. Liz was stirring but she was too comfortable to move. "Hey, is that your Gyarados?" I nodded and suppressed a yawn. "He's so big." She looked at Sting and then at Liz. "Oh, a shiny Kirlia, she's so cute." She put her hands together and wiggled her hips with a bright look in her eyes while I looked her over. She had short brown hair and wore a strange black band that hid part of it. She wore khaki shorts with a brown belt and a green shawl tied on her shoulders. A black long-sleeved belly shirt sat under the shawl and she had a very bright smile. She walked over to Sting and inspected him closely, making him turn his head toward me. "Wow, what a powerful looking Beedrill. You must be a great trainer." I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand while my right continued gently stroking Liz's hair.

"Well, I just got started a couple of weeks ago." I said. "But I don't really know how strong he is." She looked at him and held out her right hand to him. Sting looked at her while she put her hand on his forehead and pet him slowly. He leaned into her hand and buzzed happily. "I'm Zero." She looked at me while I looked down at Liz. "And this is Liz, the little Kirlia that loves to sleep." I looked up at her while Sting buzzed quietly.

"I'm Gardenia." She said. "I'm from the Sinnoh region." I smiled while Liz sat up.

"Kirlia?" She asked. I patted her head and she stepped off of my lap. I looked at Mawile while she looked Gardenia over. I stood up slowly and stretched. Liz walked up to her while I pulled out the Greatball.

"How are you doing Mawile?" I asked. "Do you want to stay out?" She shook her head and I set the ball on the stump. "Just tap the button then. I won't force you back in if you don't want to go." She nodded while I walked over to Gardenia. She was sitting on the ground while Sting crouched so she could keep petting him. Liz was looking her over and Garth had submerged, no doubt searching for food. "So, you're from Sinnoh?" She nodded and looked over at me while Sting stretched his arm stingers. I pulled out his ball and he stood up and walked over. "What brings you over here?" Sting tapped the ball and returned while I heard Mawile doing the same.

"I wanted to visit some old friends." She said. "I'm visiting the Gym leaders and I just came from Cerulean." I nodded while she looked at Liz. "What about you? You don't look like you're from around here." I smiled and walked over to the Greatball and picked it up.

"I'm from Hoenn." I replied. "I came here to take on the Pokémon League challenge." I turned around while Liz walked over to the lake while Garth raised his eyes above the water. "Where are you headed now?"

"I don't know." She replied. "I'm thinking about Celadon, but I might go to Vermillion. It's been a while since I've seen the sea, but I do want to do some shopping." She smiled and rubbed the back of her head. "What about you?" I looked at Liz while she hovered on top of Garth's head.

"We're headed to Vermillion to challenge Lieutenant Surge." I replied. "I have a feeling that we should be able to handle him." She giggled while I stretched again.

"Would you mind if I tag along?" She asked. I looked at her and shrugged.

"I don't mind having a little bit of extra company." I said. She smiled and stood up while Garth swam over to the shore and Liz patted his head. I walked over while Gardenia followed. Liz hovered above me and landed on my shoulders while I rubbed Garth between his eyes. "Are you ready to head out Garth?" He growled happily while Gardenia looked him over. I patted him twice and he looked ahead. There was another river along the path so he moved lower. "Are you sure you don't mind big guy?" He nodded and Liz giggled. I held my right hand out to Gardenia and she took it. She climbed onto Garth's back and I followed and kneeled on his head. "Okay then, let's get going."  
…

We set up at the Pokémon Center near a cavern that night.

"Hey Zero, how did you catch Liz anyway?" Gardenia asked. I looked over at her and shrugged.

"I spent a few weeks in a forest that was said to be quite full of Ralts." I explained. "Two weeks in and I couldn't find a single one." I looked at Liz, who was currently curled up on my chest. "It started to rain so I went back to my tent and turned in for that night." I set my right hand on Liz's head and she nuzzled my chest softly. "I had always wanted a Ralts, ever since I was ten. I made a vow that the very first Pokémon I would train would be a Ralts." I smiled and rubbed her head. "Ten years went by and I couldn't even catch a cold." I pulled the Master Ball from my belt and held it up so Gardenia could see it. "My mom gave me this when I was a kid, so I figured I would use it for my first Pokémon." I put it on a catch and I stroked Liz's hair softly. "That night though, during a bad storm, Liz wandered into my tent and fell asleep beside me."

"Wow, Ralts aren't usually so calm around humans." Gardenia said. I nodded while Liz made a small peaceful noise. "And she trusted you enough to fall asleep right next to you right off the bat." I smiled and nodded again.

"Yeah, and that morning I caught her after a little thing with her parents." I said quietly. "We came down here after a few days and we got our Pokédex from Professor Oak." She looked at me while I smiled at Liz. "We went to Viridian and through the forest. We caught Sting when he was a little Weedle, and he evolved fairly soon after he joined us." Liz yawned and I closed my eyes. "We went to Pewter city and we managed to defeat Brock, the Gym leader, and she evolved into a Kirlia."

"Wow." Gardenia said quietly. "She must trust you a lot." I nodded.

"Not even a month together and we've got two badges and three more friends." I said quietly. "I think she'll evolve again before long."


	4. A secret revealed

Chapter 4 Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Pokémon. I do this disclaimer to cover all of my bases and to confirm that fact every time.

Now, I'm getting some serious praise with this fic, and I've managed some fans. I'm quite glad at this news. I'm listening to several excellent songs and I'm quite amused as I write this. Anyway, I'd like to thank DragonLord Seth, the first to review. I'd also like to thank uguismode, who was kind enough to review. And uguismode, which story do you mean? Lastly, I'd like to thank this one guy, who quite likes my story. Thank you all for your reviews, I enjoy knowing that my work is appreciated.

Now, this chapter introduces some controversy and a bit of filler. In all, I wanted to keep my usual nine pages and thirty five hundred words or so, and this is why the filler content is so high. Not much character or plot development, but this is the fourth chapter.  
…

I opened my eyes and looked down at Liz. She was sleeping peacefully on my chest. I then noticed something alarming. My vision was normal, which meant my sunglasses weren't on my face. I looked around quickly and couldn't see them.

"Zero, I'm sorry." Gardenia said quietly. I looked at her and saw my sunglasses in her hands and she was sitting on her bunk. "I just wanted to see what color your eyes were." I looked at Liz and nodded.

"I understand." I said. "I usually don't remove my sunglasses because people used to make fun of my bright blue eyes and hair." I looked at her with a small smile. "Now it's because of my right eye and nothing more."

"What happened?" She asked. I shrugged.

"The day I caught Liz, her father, a Gallade, put some kind of spell on me." I said calmly. "He sliced my right eye and gave me psychic powers." She looked at her hands as my sunglasses shook. She let them go and they floated over to me. I caught them in my right hand and put them on the stand next to me.

"What else did he do?" She asked. I shrugged again.

"He gave me a neat 'X' shaped scar on both sides of my right hand." I said calmly. I held up my right hand and then lowered it. "Not much else really happened. He wanted me to protect his little Ralts, and he gave me some mental powers." She nodded.

"But why did he scar your hand?" She asked. I closed my eyes. "He cut your eye and gave you one like his, but what about your hand?" I smiled and opened my eyes. I pulled off the glove on my right hand and the green had stopped at the wrist. It hadn't moved in a few days, so that meant that it was probably done. I rolled up the sleeve and she gasped. "Wow. It looks like a Gallade's arm." I nodded.

"Complete with the blade." I said. "I can even use Psycho Cut." She bit her lower lip as I rolled down the sleeve. I looked at Liz while she looked up at me with a worried look. I set my right hand on her head and rubbed her hair for a moment with a smile. "If it's okay with you Gardenia, I'd like to keep this between us and the walls." I looked at her while she nodded. "Not that I'd do anything if you did, I just think that this is part of some greater plan." I thought about my arm for a moment and chuckled. "Okay, so I'd give you the whole 'I don't really get why you did that' speech, but apart from that and a tiny guilt trip I'd let you off easy." She nodded while Liz pushed my hand away. I looked at her while she moved off of me. "Are you okay Liz?" She shook her head. "What's wrong?" She shook her head and I felt a strange emotion in the air. I recognized it as jealousy. I smiled and set my hand on her head again. I had felt jealous of other trainers with Ralts when I had searched for ten years before finding her. "Liz, are you jealous of Gardenia?" Gardenia looked at me for a moment while Liz nodded slowly. "It's okay Liz, she's a friend, but she could never replace you." She looked up at me while I rubbed her head slowly. "Come on now, you were the first real friend I've ever had. You're my best friend." She smiled as Gardenia stood up.

"Maybe I should see when breakfast starts." She said cheerily. Liz looked at her and smiled.

"Thanks Gardenia." I said. "We'll be along in a bit. I've just got to wait for Sting to come back."  
…

We walked down the road and I spotted a patch of the ground that looked recently disturbed and covered. I held out my right hand and looked at it suspiciously.

"What is it Zero?" Gardenia asked. I looked at the ground.

"Something doesn't feel right about that spot." I said. I knelt down and brushed some of the dirt aside. There were thin branches laid out in a pattern, covering a hole. "It's a pit trap."

"Darn, how did you see through that?" A female voice asked.

"Who said that?" Gardenia asked.

"Prepare for trouble." The female voice called. The three from Mount Moon jumped out from the bushes.

"And make it double." The male said.

"To protect the world from devastation." The female called, striking an odd pose.

"To unite all peoples within our nation." The male called, pointing a rose at Gardenia.

"Denouncing the evils of truth and love." The woman said, crossing her arms.

"To extend our reach to the stars above." The male said calmly, sniffing the rose.

"Jesse!" The woman said dramatically, pointing at me.

"James." The man said seductively, pointing at Gardenia.

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light." Jesse said.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight." James said.

"Meowth, that's right." The talking Meowth said. I looked up at Liz while Gardenia stared at the Meowth. I looked back at them and clapped.

"Well done." I said. "You three must have spent a lot of time working on that." Gardenia looked at me as Liz started clapping.

"What are you clapping at?" Jesse asked loudly. I stopped and smiled.

"Well, you did have a good presentation, and the jumping out of the bush was well timed." I said calmly. "I think such a good presentation should have some praise." They looked at each other while I pulled out Sting's Pokéball. "So, you want to try to steal our Pokémon." I smiled as they nodded and pulled out their own Pokéball. "Then let's skip the dialogue and get to the introductions." I lobbed the ball and Sting appeared. "Sting, let's teach them how strong you've gotten." He buzzed and his eyes flashed. Gardenia tossed a Pokéball and a Tangela appeared. "Okay, two on two?" They threw their Pokéball and growled.

"Koffing, use sludge on that Beedrill!" James called.

"Ekans, use poison sting on Tangela." Jesse added.

"Tangela, block it with Energy Ball." Gardenia said. The Koffing inhaled as the Ekans spat dozens of tiny needles at Tangela.

"Sting, take to the air and do a flyby String Shot." I said quickly. Sting buzzed loudly and flew into the air as the Koffing spat a giant ball of sludge at the spot he had been seconds earlier. Sting flew along and began spitting string at the Koffing.

"Koffing, use Smokescreen!" James called. Koffing belched out a black cloud and the white string went in. "Now use tackle." I had blocked out Jesse's and Gardenia's battle while Koffing flew into the air, a great deal of string covering it.

"Sting, use Signal Beam." I called. Sting put the tips of his arm stingers together and a bright green beam hit Koffing when it was two feet away. Koffing was stopped short and slowly began moving back. "Okay, finish with another String Shot." Koffing shook in the air as Sting began firing string all over it.

"Koffing, do something!" James yelled.

"Okay Tangela, finish with Solar Beam!" Gardenia yelled happily. Koffing hit the ground next to James, and I smiled as Sting flew down next to me. Ekans was next to Meowth as Tangela fired a golden beam at them. They screamed as the beam crashed into the ground in front of them and exploded. Somehow they were thrown into the air.

"It looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They screamed as one. I smiled and held out my right hand to Sting.

"Good work Sting." I said. He buzzed and put his right stinger against my palm. "I knew you'd handle those clowns." Liz nodded while Sting stretched. I smiled again and pulled out his Pokéball. He tapped it and went back in. "He sleeps a lot during the day. I guess he's a night Pokémon." Gardenia giggled as Tangela walked up to me. "How are you holding up there?" It walked up closer and began rubbing against my leg. I set my right hand on top of it and rubbed the vines. "Well, you're a friendly little guy aren't you?" Gardenia walked over and pulled out the Pokéball.  
…

I sat against the base of a tall tree while Gardenia zipped up her sleeping bag. I tilted my hat down over my eyes as Liz climbed onto my lap again. She yawned and set her head against my chest while I smiled. I set my right hand on top of her head as she closed her eyes.

"Hey Zero?" Gardenia asked. I looked up at her while she shifted in her sleeping bag. "She really trusts you." I nodded. "How long have you had her?" I thought about it for a moment.

"I caught Liz about two or three weeks ago." I said.

"Wow, three weeks and she trusts you so much." Gardenia said quietly. I nodded as I stroked Liz's hair softly. "And you treat all of your Pokémon so kindly." I smiled and looked at Liz as she started breathing quietly.

"I treat my Pokémon as my friends." I said. "Pokémon deserve nothing less than the respect of their trainers." I looked up at Gardenia as she half closed her eyes. "I lost my parents eleven years ago, and I was pretty much raised by the men and women of their companies." She nodded. "I'm the last of my bloodline at the moment, and I want to try my hand at the Pokémon League before I try to find someone to settle down with."

"Sounds like you have a plan." She said. I nodded and continued petting Liz. "I feel like I know you from somewhere. I know I've never met you before, but I feel like I might have seen you before." I nodded again.

"I'm the rich guy from the news." I said. "I'm the last of an ancient bloodline of a great and powerful king. I'm also unable to put a dent in the money I make each day. I'm Gene 'Zero' Alastor." She nodded.

"I thought I recognized you." She said. "Wow, it must be nice having so much money." I shook my head.

"I have so much money I could probably have had someone else catch a Ralts." I said. "But money is like power; it corrupts you if you aren't careful." She nodded.  
…

We walked into the main area of Vermillion City, Liz on my shoulders and Gardenia to my right. Liz patted the top of my head and I looked up at her. She had taken my hat and was wearing it while she smiled at me. She pointed to the left and I spotted the Pokémon Center. She had a few scratches and some bruises, and we had used the very last of our potions a few hours back.

"Zero, I'm going to go check on Lieutenant Surge." Gardenia said. I looked at her and nodded. "I'll see you later." I nodded and held out my right hand.

"Let him know I'm coming." I said. "Hopefully sometime this afternoon." She nodded as she shook my hand. She let go and walked away. I walked over to the center as the door slid open. A ship horn blew in the distance as I walked in. Except for Nurse Joy and the occasional Chansey walking around, the entire place was empty. Joy was facing away from me as I walked up. I set Liz on the ground beside me as Joy typed on her computer.

"I can't believe there aren't any trainers coming in this week." She said quietly. "I thought for sure I'd get at least one trainer by today." She sighed. "I guess I could even risk using my terminal for personal use for a while." She turned and saw me and quickly blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in." I smiled and waved my right hand twice.

"It's not a big deal." I said. "I figured you had something important going on with your computer." She blushed deeper. "We can wait for a little while if you're busy." I looked down at Liz as she climbed up to see Nurse Joy.

"Oh my, did you battle Lieutenant Surge?" She asked. I shook my head.

"We got in a bit of a tough battle a ways out of town." I explained. "It wasn't too bad, just a few scratches." Liz nodded as I helped her up onto the desk. She sat down as I pulled out the rest of the Pokéballs. Joy stood up and walked over and looked at Liz. "I would have used some potions, but I ran out in an earlier battle." She nodded as she examined Liz.

"Is she from a different region?" She asked.

"Yes, we're from Hoenn." I replied. She nodded while Liz put her hands in her lap. "I've also got a Gyarados, a Beedrill, and a Mawile." She looked at me. "Mawile was actually caught about twelve or so miles north of here." She nodded.

"I'd heard a few Pokémon were coming in from other regions." She said. "Well, I'll take care of your Pokémon, but I think I should give them all a complete checkup." I nodded as I set the Pokéball on the small tray. "Where is her ball?" I pulled out the Masterball and tapped the button.

"I don't put her in it." I said. I put the ball on my belt as Joy nodded. "The others seem to enjoy sleeping in them at night, but Liz doesn't like being confined." Liz nodded. "On the flight over here, she actually freed herself just so she could sit on my lap." Joy giggled while Liz blushed. "I figure I'll just get it set on my Pokétch one day." She smiled while Liz stood up and hopped down beside Joy. "Well, I need to head to the Pokémart to get some supplies. I should be back in an hour." Joy nodded.

"I should be finished with Liz's checkup by then." She said. I nodded as she bowed.

"Don't let the others cause any trouble Liz." I said. Liz held her right hand up and waved. "Okay, keep them in line." I looked at Joy with a smile. "I should tell you that the Beedrill answers only to Sting and Gyarados likes being called Garth." She nodded. "And Sting likes to spend his nights outside. I guess he likes flying about in his free time."

"I'll let Sting out at night then." She said. I shook my head.

"I'm actually going to check into a hotel later." I said. I began turning when I remembered something important. "Oh, and Garth is a rare Red Gyarados." She looked at the three Pokéball. "He's also a lot calmer than most Gyarados. He's basically just a big red Teddiursa with scales." She giggled as she turned to walk away. "Thanks Nurse Joy. Without you and your family, a lot of Pokémon wouldn't get the care they deserve." I turned away and felt a small amount of happiness, but it wasn't Liz. 'I can feel other people's emotions now?' I put my hands in my duster pockets and smiled. 'Looks like her dad messed with more than just my mind, my eye, and my arm.'  
…

I walked into the Pokémart and looked around. Like the Pokémon Center, it was empty besides the staff.

"Oh goody, a customer." The cashier girl said happily. "It's been a while since we've had anyone by." I smiled and walked up to the counter. "Did you just get into town?" I nodded.

"A few minutes ago to be honest." I said kindly. "I just dropped off my Pokémon at the Center and now I need some supplies." She nodded and her eyes flicked down quickly. I felt a small amount of fear from her and I looked at the window and reached my right hand into my pocket. I felt another source of emotion, one of anxiety, stemming from below the girl with a now obviously forced smile. "I'll be back in a second." I winked at the girl and she nodded.

"Okay, take your time." She said. I walked into the back and opened my cell phone in my pocket and dialed the police for the city. I looked at the mirrors and saw no other people and I felt no other emotions but the two. The door had a bell so the robber couldn't get out without my noticing. I pulled the phone out of my pocket as I walked behind one of the shelves and put it to my right ear.

"Hello, this is the Vermillion City police." Officer Jenny said kindly. "What is the nature of your call?"

"I'm at the Pokémart." I whispered. "There is a robber behind the cashier who thinks he's stealthy, and he may be armed." I looked over at her with my phone hidden from view. She looked scared. "He doesn't have any accomplices, but we need some help right away."

"I'll be right over." Jenny said. "Please stall for as long as you can. I may be a few minutes."

"Thank you Officer Jenny." I said. "I'll do what I can." I picked out a few bags of trail mix and some cans of condensed milk after putting the phone in my pocket. I looked up at her and then at the shelf in front of me. "Do you have any non Teriyaki jerky?" She looked at me.

"There's some regular in the back." She said. "And there's some up here if you don't like the kind back there." I nodded and looked over a bag of Pokémon food. I put it back, deciding to have one of my assistants deliver some in the morning. Liz liked the special formula I had come up with, and I wanted to try some new mixes for the others. I walked out and set the items in a basket and walked back. "Too much for one go?" I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, I always forget the basket." I replied. I felt annoyance from the thief and more fear from the girl. "So the regular jerky is in the back?" She nodded and I shrugged. "Well, to each their own." She smiled as I walked back and grabbed a bag of regular jerky and a bag of 'Mesquite' barbecue flavor. I grabbed ten more of those and one peppered and set them in the basket. I walked over to the back and spotted a large thermos. It was on sale and it looked fairly reliable. I grabbed it and put it away. I walked up to the counter as Jenny arrived on her motorcycle. She looked in and I nodded to the girl. "I also need some potions and a couple of antidotes." She nodded and turned to grab the healing items as Jenny walked in. I used my psychic power to silence the little bell. She crouched and walked behind me and around the counter while silently drawing her sidearm. "So, did you do any track in high school?" The girl turned to look at me and nodded. "Did you do any hurdle jumping?" She nodded again. "So many people think that such a skill is useless these days." She nodded and put the bottles of healing items in front of me while I put the basket down beside me. Jenny nodded and I backed away. The girl quickly leapt over the counter as Jenny moved to look at the thief.

"Freeze!" She yelled. "Put your weapon down and put your hands behind your head." I heard an object being set down as a young man stood up slowly with his hands on the back of his head. The girl sighed as Jenny walked up to him and put the handcuffs on him.

"Thank you." The girl said. "It's a good thing you came in when you did. He was going to take me into the back room to do who knows what to me." She hugged my right side and I put my arm around her shoulder, being careful not to move my duster sleeve. "Thank you so much." I patted her shoulder as she looked up at me.

"It wasn't any trouble." I said with a small smile. "I don't like seeing people in danger." The man looked over at me while Jenny walked him out from behind the counter. "And this guy's going away for a while."

"Man, this sucks." He said. "How the hell did you know I was down there? And how did she get here?"

"It's amazing how being quiet masks a phone call at a distance." I said sarcastically. "And you aren't that difficult to spot." He sighed as Jenny walked him out the door, the small bell chiming. I looked at the girl as she stepped away. "So, how are you holding up?" She blushed and put her right hand on the back of her head.

"I'll be okay." She said. "Thanks for saving me." I smiled and put my hands in my pockets.

"Well, I can't stand seeing anyone in trouble." I said modestly. "It's no big deal." She blushed as Jenny walked in again.

"Were you the young man that made the call?" She asked. I nodded. "Thank you for helping apprehend this criminal. We've been looking for him for a couple of weeks." I smiled as she held out her right hand. I took it in my own and shook it.

"I'm just doing what anyone should do." I said.  
…

I sat on the edge of the bed. Surge had been unable to battle that day. He and Gardenia spent the afternoon talking, and she had decided to stay at the Pokémon Center, and she was leaving in the morning. Liz was sitting on the couch, finishing her dinner. It was the last of her personal Pokémon food. I stood up and stretched. I pulled off my hat and my coat and set them on the back of a chair. I removed my sunglasses and put them on the nightstand. I sat on my side of the bed and removed my boots and socks. I moved under the covers and set my head on my pillow and looked at my right arm. The green was a strangely calming sight, as was the small bump on my elbow. It would grow, but only with a mental command.

'Why did he give me this power?' I thought. 'He wanted me to protect his daughter, but he could just as easily killed me to protect her himself.' I looked at my fingers and wondered if one day the green would spread to them as well. It seemed likely, but the spread to my eye was limited to the eye itself and not the surrounding tissue. 'Maybe I should consult a library or something. Mythology involving the Ralts family and various myths revolving around humans becoming Pokémon.' I shrugged and put my hands on my chest. 'There has to be at least one out there.' I began closing my eyes when I felt Liz climbing up on the bed. I looked at her as she climbed beside me and up onto my chest. "Hi Liz." She set her head on my chest, right over my heart. I set my right hand over her and grabbed the blankets from the other side and pulled them over her. She sighed as I gently put my left arm over her in a small hug.


	5. The third badge

Okay, here we are, a Friday if I'm doing this right. I'm listening to Guns and Roses right now, and I'm quite content. This chapter was a bit of a thrill for me, as it introduces my favorite Pokémon. It also heralds the reason for the arm and eye. It's a bit Farfetch'd but it's my fic. You don't like it, review and let me know. I'm working hard to bring these around, but there isn't much that will make me break my stride of posting every other day. This means that chapter six will be up Sunday if all goes well. I'm posting up until chapter ten, and then I'm posting a different fic. At the same time, I'm going to be working back to back on more chapters for this fic, so don't worry.

I'd like to thank faithful reader and reviewer DragonLord Seth for another review. And to those of you that read it, more like one eighth Pokémon, just by genetic change and skin covered. That's how I figure it.

And I want to thank this one guy. I think you may be my second favorite reviewer, just because of your name. I can refer to you without it being a vague way of saying that I forgot someone's name. Thank you.

Lastly, DragonLord Seth brought up a good point that may be lost in meaning. Zero seems to understand his Pokémon as if he knows the exact words they mean. This is not true. He simply 'gets the gist' of what they're saying. Every time they speak, he listens to the tone of voice, he watches any movements they make, and he watches their face for signs that tells him how they feel.

Oh, yes. I nearly forgot. I do a disclaimer every chapter to cover my back. Even a Demon can be nervous around Lawyers.

Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. If I did, I'd probably have kept the tone serious and the battles would be a bit more vicious. That is all.  
…

I opened my eyes slowly and felt a slight stirring on my chest. I smiled as I moved my left arm away from Liz's small body. She got up and slid off of my chest and crawled across the bed and dropped to the floor while I sat up and swung my legs over the edge.

"Good morning Liz." I said tiredly. "Did you sleep well?" I felt a bit of joy from her. I figured she meant that as a yes. I pulled my backpack open and pulled out a pair of fresh black socks. I looked at my feet and smiled. I used my psychic power to roll up the pant legs and saw no trace of green. I lowered the legs and pulled on the socks, followed by the boots. I grabbed my sunglasses and put them on and stood up. I tapped the ground with the tips of the boots and walked over to the chair. I pulled on my duster and grabbed my hat. I walked over to Liz, who had sat on the couch again. I looked at her as she calmly swung her feet. I looked around the room for a moment as Sting flew in through the open window. Mawile sat on the chair, sleeping peacefully, and Garth was in the pool around the back of the hotel. The pool was reserved for Pokémon, so he was quite happy. "Hey Sting. How was your night?" He buzzed and walked over to me as I pulled out his Pokéball. He looked at me and I put my right hand to his forehead, making him rub against it. "I'm glad you're having a good time Sting, because we have a Gym battle this afternoon if all goes well." He nodded. "Get some sleep now, because I plan to have you in on this one if possible." I held out his ball and he tapped it with his stinger against it. He returned to the ball and I set it on the catch. I looked over at Mawile while Liz started humming quietly. "How are you holding up Mawile?" She looked at me and stretched. She stood up and hopped off of the chair and walked over to me. I knelt as she came closer. "What's up?" She looked at the couch as Liz continued humming happily. I felt a bit of confusion from her. She pointed at me and then at the couch, indicating Liz. She then pointed at my crotch and I bit my lower lip. "You think that I'm doing that with her?" She nodded and I shook my head. "Liz and I are very close, but we're not that close. She's my best friend, and the fact that she sleeps on my chest means that we're just that close." She nodded as Liz looked over the top of the couch.

"Kirlia?" She asked. I felt a bit of confusion from her and Mawile.

"Everything is fine Liz, Mawile just had a question." I explained.  
…

I walked along the path with Liz on my shoulders and Mawile to my right. Sting was in his Ball and Garth would be unable to battle without water. I walked up to the Gym and inhaled deeply.

"Here we are." I said calmly. "The third Gym, and the leader specializes in electric types." I looked at Mawile as she looked up at me. "What do you say girls? Shall we go in and try our luck?" Liz tapped my shoulders with her feet while Mawile nodded. I walked up to the door and it opened on its own. We walked in and I saw a tall muscular man with spiky blond hair. He wore a brown vest and military fatigues with combat boots. He was the only American Gym Leader on the entire circuit.

"So, you're the boy Gardenia told me about." Surge said loudly. I walked up to the challengers spot and nodded. "I hear you're a good trainer. And I hear you saved a Pokémart clerk from an armed robber." I smiled and nodded while Liz tapped my hat. I knelt down and she slid down my back onto the floor.

"And I hear that you've got some powerful Pokémon." I said. He smiled as a Raichu walked out from behind him.

"Well, do you want to get on with this?" He asked. I nodded as Raichu walked onto the field. "This will be a one on one match. Pick your Pokémon carefully." I looked at Mawile and she nodded and walked onto the field. "That's your choice?" He laughed for a moment. "What is that Pokémon? I've never seen anything so cute looking." He chuckled. "It won't take a single Thundershock before it goes down." I smiled as Mawile huffed and looked at me.

"Can we get this started Lieutenant?" I asked. He nodded. "Okay then, Mawile, let's start with Calm Mind." She nodded and she let out a calm breath while she focused her mind.

"Raichu, use Thunderbolt." Surge said. Raichu sparked for a moment before a large burst of lightning shot from his body. It struck Mawile and she stood there, anchored to the ground, her large mouth sparking between the jaws. I smiled as the attack ended. Mawile dusted herself off and yawned. "What the? What happened?"

"Mawile, let's go with a Faint Attack." I called. Mawile vanished and reappeared behind Raichu, slamming her larger mouth over his head. He cried out while Surge stared in disbelief.

"Raichu, get up and use Mega Punch!" He called.

"Mawile, hit him with a Sucker Punch." I called back. She smiled as Raichu stood up and she punched him in the stomach, winding him. "Follow with Iron Head." Surge recoiled as Mawile's head gained a metallic sheen and she hit Raichu with a supped up head butt. He fell to the ground while Surge stared with his mouth open. Mawile walked over to me and her larger mouth made a few kissing sounds at him. I knelt down as she walked up to me. I set my right hand on her head and she giggled while I pet her. "Good job Mawile. I knew he wouldn't hurt you." Liz walked over and patted Mawile on her back.

"This isn't over yet kid." Surge said quickly. I looked up as he pulled out another Pokéball and tossed it. "Magneton, let's finish this." From the ball appeared the triple Magnemite fusion Pokémon. It buzzed twice and spun its magnets.

"What do you say Mawile?" I asked. She looked at me. "Are you up for another scrap?" She looked at Magneton and shook her head. "Liz, how about it then?" Liz nodded and teleported onto the battlefield as I stood up, Mawile turning to watch.

"A psychic type?" Surge asked. He visibly trembled. "Magneton, use Thunder!" Magneton spun the magnets rapidly while Liz looked at me. The lightning fired and I nodded.

"Liz, Confusion to stop the power." I called softly. She nodded and the lightning stopped in front of her harmlessly, though she seemed to be struggling. "Focus Liz, I know you can do it." She nodded and gritted her teeth as I started sweating. More and more lightning came at her and stopped at the wall. 'Come on Liz, you can do this. You can do it.' She pointed her arms at the golden glow and there was a mighty explosion. I crossed my arms and felt a strange energy in the air while Mawile covered her eyes. I felt fear from her, confidence from Surge, and worry from Liz. 'Come on Liz, you didn't faint from this.' The smoke began clearing slowly as a thud was heard.

"Yes, I knew it would work!" Surge called.

"Would somebody please crack a window?!" I called. "We're dying in here for crying out loud!" The windows on the top of the building opened with a quiet set of whirring noises and the smoke quickly cleared. Surge was coughing while I spotted something blue at my head level and some white close to the ground. 'What?' I watched as Surge looked at the new form in the clearing smoke. I spotted more white and some yellow. My eyes went wider and I felt shock from Surge, confusion from Mawile, and curiosity from myself. "Unreal." As the rest of the smoke cleared I saw her standing at my height. She had blue hair and what looked like a short blue shirt and a long white dress. Her arms were covered with what looked like arm length blue gloves and a yellow spike seemed to be protruding from her back. She looked over her arms as I stared, my eyes wider than dinner plates. I closed my eyes several times and I stared at her while Surge ran over to his unconscious Magneton. It had a mark on the metal that glowed light pink for a moment before fading. All three of its eyes were blank, a sign of our victory. I opened my mouth and shut it while Mawile's confusion grew and the Pokémon standing before me turned around slowly. "Liz? Is that really you?" She smiled and closed her eyes and I smiled widely. "By Arceus, you've evolved." She nodded and walked over to me while Surge recalled his Magneton. I smiled and shook my head. "Quite frankly Liz, you have outdone yourself." She giggled while I held my hands up beside me and shook my head pitifully. "I'm stumped, and that's not easy to do." She walked up to me and hugged me, a feeling of gratitude filling my mind. I hugged her back and Mawile seemed happy as well.

"Devoir." Liz said quietly. I patted her back as her chest spike dug into my ribs. She stepped back and held out her arms and spun once. I smiled and looked at Mawile as she held up her right hand. I had my arms at my side and I held my left palm up and she high fived me. "Gardevoir?" I looked at Liz and she held out her arms impatiently.

"Liz, you've left me almost totally awestruck." I said. Surge walked over and stepped by her and turned to look at her. "You're a vision of beauty, and I mean this sincerely when I do this." I held my right thumb and middle finger into my mouth and gave a Glameowcall whistle while Surge nodded. Liz blushed and giggled into her right hand. "You've completely surprised me every day since we've met, and now I couldn't be too much happier." Surge tapped my left shoulder and I held out my left hand and felt a small object fall into the palm.

"You did a great job raising your Pokémon." He said. I nodded. "And you've more than earned that badge." He patted my shoulder and I gripped the badge as he pulled me into a one armed hug. I smiled as he let go. I looked at him and held out my right hand, which he took and shook. "You're going to do great in the league." I nodded as he let go of my hand.

"If you're ever in the Hoenn region, stop by any Alastor Hotel." I said. I pulled out a small plastic card and handed it to him. "Tell them that Zero gave you this and you get the whole thing free." He looked at the card and then at me. "They've got a hell of a gym, and the room service is all home cooking."  
…

I walked into the room and saw Liz sitting on the bed. I smiled as I walked over to her.

"Devoir?" She asked. She blushed and pointed to the bathroom. I looked at it and felt her embarrassment. I pointed to it and she pointed to herself and then to me.

"Where are you going with this?" I asked warily. She blushed and I heard the tub start filling. I remembered the hotel we had stayed at where we had bathed when she was a Kirlia. "Liz, I'm not too sure about that. I let you talk me into that when you were smaller, but now I don't think so." She shook her head and pointed at the room again and I sighed. "Liz, you're a Gardevoir now. I can't wash you in the tub." The water stopped and I heard the tub drain quickly. I took one step and the shower started. "Liz, that is not what I meant." She gave me a quizzical look and I looked at the ground and removed my sunglasses. "Did your parents ever give you the Pidgey's and the Beedrill's talk?" She stared at me with the same look and I blushed. "Where did Sting go? He'd know what to do." She giggled as I searched for the others Pokéballs. She stood up and walked over to me and took my right hand in both of hers. "Liz, I don't think this is a good idea." I blushed deeper and she let go. "Liz, when a male falls in love with a female, or the other way around, they do something that makes babies." She nodded. "During this thing they do, they're usually both naked." She nodded again. "Have you ever seen your father, um." I thought about it for a moment and knew I was skirting a delicate subject and I would have to go about it carefully. "Have you ever seen something between your father's legs? Something kind of long and, kind of like a, uh, kind of like a." I thought about it for a few moments. "Jeeze, I didn't think I'd ever be giving the facts of life talk to anyone." I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand for a moment and I leaned on my left leg. I let out a deep breath and tried to think of a good analogy. I looked at my right arm and thought of the blade. I quickly dismissed it and tried to think of something else. "How am I supposed to do this?" She looked at me for a moment as I let out another breath. "Liz, I'm afraid you might have to take this one on faith." I held out both of my hands to my sides. "I have no clue how to explain this to you." She stepped up to me and I backed away. "Maybe Nurse Joy could help. She'd know exactly how to go about this one." She looked me over and I realized I was in trouble. I had given her only a small portion of a talk I had never received. 'Oh man, what have I gotten myself into now?' She walked up to me and reached her right hand out to my crotch. I quickly backed away and summoned my hat and covered myself. I had unwittingly aroused myself thinking of her in the shower, but I couldn't figure out why. "Liz, I may just sleep on the couch tonight." She shook her head and my arm began twitching. She was using her powers to try to figure out what I meant. "Liz, please stop." She looked at me as I used my power to slow her down. "Please trust me when I say that Nurse Joy will tell you all you need to know." She walked up to me and I reached for Mawile's Pokéball. "Liz, I can call for backup here. I have Mawile and I have Garth if I need him. I can more than pay for room damages." She shook her head and I thought of another way. "Do you know about mating?" She looked at me and blushed while she nodded slowly. "You're a female, and I am a male." I looked at my hat and moved it aside. "And I like Gardevoir a lot." I looked at her while she blushed deeper. "If we shower together, it may complicate things very badly between us. If I see you in the shower with me, I won't be able to make this go away very easily."

"Gardevoir." She said apologetically. I shook my head.

"It's not a bad thing Liz." I said. "It's just, well; it's a very touchy subject. Humans frown on things like Pokémon being with humans or the other way around." She blushed. "And I think I would yield to temptation if we showered together." She blushed deeper and stepped away. "You're my best friend Liz. I don't want to do anything that might change that." She nodded while I hovered my hat onto the nightstand. "Why don't you take a shower and I'll take one after you?" She nodded and walked over to the door and opened it. I sighed as she walked in and shut the door. I walked over to the bed and removed my boots and my socks. I stretched my toes and stood up. I began pulling off my duster when a knock came from the door. I quickly put on my sunglasses and walked over to the main door. I opened it and Nurse Joy stood at the door. "Hello Nurse Joy." She nodded as I stepped back. She walked in, much to my surprise. "What brings you up to this little corner of the hotel?" She looked at me intently and shut the door slowly and locked it. "Nurse Joy, I should let you know that Liz is in the shower." She nodded.

"I'm here because of something I saw on the Center's security tape." She said. She pointed to my right arm and I felt some fear in my heart. "I checked it all day yesterday since there were no trainers coming in." I felt a bit of sweat rolling down my neck. "What happened?" I felt some worry from Liz so I forced some happy thoughts to the surface. I rolled up my right sleeve and she gasped. "How is that possible?"

"I've got a guy that did a tattoo over my whole arm in Gallade Green." I lied calmly. "He did a pretty good job didn't he?" She shook her head and I sighed. "I'm getting my money back. He did a bad job and now I need to have him do it again." I shook my head and held up my arm. "I'm getting a refund." She grabbed my arm quickly and looked it over.

"This is amazing." She said quietly.

"Or you can inspect the ink." I said calmly. "That way I can find out how bad he really did." She looked at me and I smiled. "Well did he do a good job or not?"

"This isn't ink." She said. "This is the arm of a powerful Gallade." I felt more sweat but I forced happy memories into my mind so Liz wouldn't worry. "You've had something change in your DNA." I sighed.

"Nurse Joy, the man I went to was a master of his craft." I lied weakly. "Six years he and I worked on the batch of ink that is now on my arm." She shook her head sternly. "Okay, there was some tweaking to my DNA." Her face softened slightly. "But quite frankly I don't think it's any big deal."

"No, this is a big deal." She said. "I've read about a legend of a man who became half Pokémon." I nodded and leaned in.

"Do tell, do tell Nurse Joy; I'm all ears." I said in a semi-comedic tone. "I've been asking my guys to find information like this, so please, I'd love to hear more." She blushed and stepped back.

"Did he change one of your eyes as well?" She asked. I nodded and removed my sunglasses. She gasped and reached for my face, though I held my left hand in the way and she blushed deeper. "Sorry, I've just never met a walking legend." I smiled and suddenly she was a room away. I looked around and saw that I was sitting on the bed. "You even have psychic powers." I nodded and wondered about my sudden transition.

"Do you know if this change will ever extend further?" I asked. She nodded. "As in yes it will, or yes as in you can tell me?" She giggled and walked over.

"The change will not go any further on your arm." She said. I gestured my right hand to my face. "Your eye won't change anymore than it already has either. But you'll start feeling more instinctual in your life. You'll be more likely to rush into danger to protect people." I nodded. "But there isn't much the legend tells about you as a person."

"Is this the old 'Save the world' style of legend?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No, but you will help bring a new age of understanding between humans and Pokémon." She said. "But I don't think you should know too much about your destiny." Her voice trailed off at the end. She sat next to me as Liz hummed from the shower. I pointed over to the room and Joy blushed.

"Can I get a copy of this legend?" I asked. "A site name on the internet? Perhaps a book in a library?" She shook her head. "I can find it Nurse Joy. I have a great deal of money at my disposal. I can have a thousand men comb the entire planet to find more of this legend." She shook her head again.

"It's a secret legend passed down through my family." She said. "Only another Nurse Joy can tell you, and I shouldn't have told you as much as I have."

"Well, you've brought me onto the dance floor Nurse Joy." I said. "You may as well give me the full song." She giggled as I looked at her with my mismatched eyes. "I need to know how far this is going to affect the world."

"Did the Gallade inspect you?" She asked. I nodded. "You have a scar on your eye, but do you have two 'X' shaped scars on your right hand?" I nodded. "That Gallade was raised by a Nurse Joy, as was the Gardevoir, Liz's mother." I nodded again, leaning in. She looked at the bathroom and then at the floor. "You're fated to fall in love with her." Her voice was a bare whisper. "She won't know about the legend, and she'll fall in love with you soon." She looked over my shoulder. "When you fight Sabrina, the psychic Gym Leader, Liz will be hurt." I felt some color leave my face. "Gallade will appear to you that night and he will speak to you." She looked around. "I shouldn't say more Zero. If I do, I run the risk of ruining the chance that you'll bring about a better understanding between humanity and Pokémon." I sighed. "I'm sorry, but I want people to realize that Pokémon are not just tools for battles and war." I nodded.

"Thanks Nurse Joy." I said. "You've cleared up more than I could have hoped for." She nodded. "Let's keep my existence on the DL for a while." She nodded.

"Zero, I can say one more thing safely to you." She said. "You should be let her choose the time. You must resist the urges to mate with her." She looked at the bathroom as the shower stopped running. "But you must tempt yourself and her as much as possible. Shower and bathe with her, let her sleep in the bed next to you, and above all, treat her as your friend." The shower curtain slid open and I heard Liz humming happily. "She needs to know that you love her, and one day she should come to you, and you'll feel her need in your mind." I gulped and nodded. "Please Zero; let her know that you love her." I nodded.

"I may have a problem with the shower part." I whispered. "I told her that I didn't want to do anything that would threaten our friendship." She nodded.

"She'll forget about that later." She said with a wink. "She'll want you to shower with her in the morning. Pretend that you've given up and let her drag you in." I nodded shakily. "She may want you by the time you face Sabrina."


	6. A quick rematch

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Pokémon!!! There. I said it again. Sixth time.

This chapter has introduces some tension between the main characters. Sorry if the last chapter was confusing with Nurse Joy and the Legend, but I wanted a bigger plot for the future.

Also, I'd like to thank all of my readers. It makes a Demon like me very happy to be appreciated. Quick fix, I forgot to thank DragonLord Seth for going through this chapter. Sorry Seth, sometimes my memory is less than helpful. And, I regret to inform, that I will now be posting on a weekly basis as long as I have chapters. So, without further ado.  
…

I opened my eyes slowly and looked over to my left. Liz was breathing quietly and I felt a small amount of happiness from her. She seemed to be having a nice dream. I looked up at the window and saw that the sky was still dark. I pulled the covers off of my body and silently moved my legs over the edge. I stood up quietly and walked around to the window and looked out. It was a large window leading to a small terrace. I silently opened the windows and stepped out. I leaned my arms over the edge and quickly retracted them. I looked around quickly and found that there weren't any others outside at the time. I made a mental note to be more careful in the future and to buy some long sleeved shirts. I could hide my condition, but I'd have to use the lie of it being tattoos and a contact lens. I looked up at the stars and set my arms on the edge again. It was a beautiful scene. The sun was starting to rise in the ease, but the stars would be visible for a short while longer. I inhaled the cool air and let it out slowly.

'What a beautiful sight.' I thought. I looked at the stars and smiled. A hard battle the afternoon before, and I would be heading out in just a few hours time to challenge another Gym. I looked around and saw some Pidgey flying from some trees, and a few Zubat flying toward some nearby caves. I inhaled again and felt something different in the air. I looked toward the entrance of the town and saw the three from Team Rocket sneaking in. I stepped back into the room and closed the door. 'Not those buffoons again.' I turned to see Liz quickly closing her eyes. She had been watching me while I looked outside. I walked over to the bed and stopped in front of her. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. I walked around the bed and slid back into my spot. I pulled the covers over me and closed my eyes again. 'Nurse Joy was right. I am falling in love with her.' I remembered the night we had met. She came into the tent from the rain as a Ralts and she snuggled up against me, despite her still being wild. She had clung to my arm while her parents had yet to realize who I was, and she grew more and more attached to me each day. I smiled as I remembered when she had evolved into a Kirlia. Her cute yellow horns, her yellow eyes shining happily, and she had grown from me carrying her in my left arm to riding around on my shoulders. 'We've come a long way Liz. You're my first and closest friend.' Her left arm suddenly draped onto my chest and I heard her sigh quietly. I smiled and put my right hand over hers and I felt her happiness. 'You may have been optimistic about Saffron city Nurse Joy.'  
…

I got off of the bed and stretched. Liz had moved away during the night at some point, and I saw her sitting on the couch, Mawile sitting next to her, the big mouth hanging over the edge. I walked over to the doorway and felt some confusion among both of them. They were whispering, no doubt forgetting that I couldn't understand what they were saying. I turned around and walked over to the bathroom and opened the door. I walked in and shut it, not bothering to lock it. Mawile usually returned herself to her Pokéball in the mornings after I showered. I removed my shirt and looked at my right arm. The green hadn't moved an inch and I smiled at that fact. The less it covered, the less I had to hide. A simple long sleeved shirt would cover the whole thing. I hung the shirt on a peg on the door and removed my pants and boxers. I hung the pants on the second peg and I set the boxers in a small bag by the towel rack and I grabbed a clean pair from the bag next to the first. I set them inside the pants and pulled a clean pair of towels from my backpack, which sat by the trash bucket. I set the towels on the rack and opened the shower door and stepped in, closing it behind me. I turned on the water and adjusted it before turning on the shower nozzle.

'Now if I just had some music in here I could tune the troubles of the world out.' I thought. I began remembering one of my favorite songs; Chicks Dig It by Chris Cagle. I closed my eyes and tuned out the rest of my senses. After a few minutes I grabbed the soap and lathered my hands and began cleaning my arms. "Blacktop road, learner permit. Thought I was Earnhardt, drivin' fast, but I didn't see the ditch. I took out a mailbox, then a fence, then a barn. Officer Jenny came and called my father, but I met the Gallade's daughter." I tilted my head from side to side slowly while enjoying the memory of the song. I'd have to remember to buy the CD and a portable stereo/CD player so I could let the others hear it. I scrubbed my chest when I heard the shower door open.

"Devoir?" Liz asked. I sighed.

"Okay Liz, I give up." I said honestly. "If you want to shower with me then I can't stop you." I looked over my shoulder at her smiling face. "Just mind your own." She nodded as I returned to cleaning myself. I stepped aside so she could stand in the stream and I blushed as she stepped up beside me. I closed my eyes and tried to keep thinking of the song, but I was having a problem. I had seen her body when she moved beside me, and I made an interesting discovery; Gardevoir could remove their 'dresses' and Liz had set hers on the door apparently. I heard her grabbing the soap and I now had a battle raging in my head. I wanted to watch her clean herself, but I didn't want her to see. I stepped back and opened my eyes and saw her watching. "I've had my time in the stream. I'll be okay back here." She nodded with a small smile. I could have sworn I saw her eyes briefly looking at my groin before she looked ahead and set the soap on the shelf. She began lathering her chest while I grabbed the soap. I lathered my hands and leaned back before setting it back on the shelf. I scrubbed my shins and I looked at my right arm. Other than the color change, it still felt like my old arm. The only big difference was that I could grow a sharp blade from the elbow. I thought of it and grew the blade. I looked at the side of my arm and I saw a small ridge going up, even to the side of my palm. I grabbed the soap with my powers and moved it to my left hand. I covered my crotch with my right leg and drew the soap along the edge and a small cut appeared when I looked at the bar. 'Wow, my arm may as well be a real sword.' I smiled and looked at Liz. She was staring at me over her right shoulder. "Just testing a theory Liz, I'm fine back here." She smiled and gestured to her back. I let a small chuckle and nodded. "I'm spoiling you Liz, I really think I am." She giggled as I re-lathered my hands. I set the bar down and I began washing her back while moving carefully around the golden horn that protruded from her back.

"Gardevoir." She moaned quietly. I blushed and continued slowly. I used my power to divert a small amount of the water into a Pokéball sized sphere before making it into a sheet as wide as her shoulders. I moved it to her back and washed the soap away with a mental command. She giggled and looked at me. She had a cute smile and she began turning. When she finished, she motioned for me to turn. "Devoir, Garde, voir, voir, Garde." I nodded and turned with a small blush. I heard her grabbing the soap and I heard her lathering her hands. She put the soap on the shelf and I tried to focus on doing something useful. I began thinking of an older song I loved to listen to; Sittin' on the dock of the bay by Otis Redding. She began rubbing the soap into my back and I felt myself calming down somewhat. I began mentally singing the lyrics when she moved to my lower back, gently rubbing the soap into my skin. The song in my head sounded like a skipping record, but her hands were so gentle I could barely stand it. I felt her happiness so I let her continue. As long as she was happy, I couldn't bring myself to stop her. "Garde, Devoir, Gardevoir?" I knew she was asking if I was enjoying her actions. I looked over my right shoulder at her and smiled.

"Thanks Liz." I said happily. She smiled and stepped away and let the now ice cold water hit my back. I let out a startled yelp as she giggled. She had been holding back the water with her psychic powers and waited for me to need to rinse. "Hey, that's not fair." I laughed while she giggled from the side of the shower. "Come on, turn off the water, this isn't funny." She giggled and smiled at me while I turned to face away from her. I stepped over to the handles and turned them all off. She stepped out while I rubbed my arms. "Give a guy some warning next time."  
…

I pulled on my gloves and looked around the room for my duster. Normally it should have been sitting on the back of a nearby chair, but I couldn't see it. I walked into the main area and saw Liz wearing my duster with her back to me. I smiled as she looked at the sleeves. It was at least two sizes too big for her, but it made her look stronger. I looked around and spotted the Greatball sitting on the coffee table. I held out my left hand and the ball flew into it quickly with a quiet smack. I looked at Liz as she turned with a start. She had her hands over her mouth and she seemed worried.

"Sorry about the noise." I said casually. "I need to remember to slow down the catching part in the future." She lowered her hands as I put the ball on my belt. Sting's Pokéball was already on the belt; no doubt he was in it as well from the weight of it. One could feel a Pokéball feeling twice as heavy when the Pokémon was inside. "How does my jacket feel? I hope it isn't too heavy." She blushed and went to take it off. "Oh don't worry about it now Liz. I still have to pack my laundry and get the supplies organized." She blushed deeper and lowered her arms. "I'll have to order a duster for you." She looked at me and then at the duster. "It looks good on you. I'm sure I can get one in your size." She smiled as I walked over to my backpack. In truth, we were completely set to go. I just wanted to hang around for a while longer with her. She was beautiful, and I wanted to kiss her and tell her how much I loved her, but I had to wait until she was ready.  
…

We walked out of the city, looking down a grass path that led to Saffron City, which in turn acted as a hub that would lead us to Celadon. My sunglasses rested on my eyes as I looked at the sky. It was morning and the sun was just starting its climb into the sky. I inhaled deeply and let out a content sigh. The weather was perfect for spring, warm without being too warm, and cool breezes to even it out. The sky was clear and there were only a few clouds. I looked ahead and saw that the path was clear.

"Well, I guess we should get going." I said. Liz nodded and I began walking while she floated along beside me. I was actually kind of sad that I couldn't carry her anymore. I looked down at my right arm and smiled. With my psychic power, I could protect her as her parents wanted. I looked at her as she closed her eyes and smiled. She probably didn't need me anymore, at least not for safety. 'She's gotten strong since we've first met. I just hope that she's strong enough that she won't need a protector much longer.' She looked at me and I smiled. She returned the smile and looked ahead, as did I. After a few minutes I felt her take my left hand in her right, but I didn't stop her. She was still innocent at heart, and she was very beautiful. I was proud to be her friend and trainer.

"Hey, I want to challenge you!" A young voice called. I turned my head to my right to see a familiar face.

"Tim, how have you been?" I called. He ran up to me with a wide grin. He held out his right hand and I took it in my own. "You look like you're just itching for a rematch." He nodded.

"And this time I won't lose so easily." He said. He jogged ahead of us and pulled out a Pokéball. "Okay Beedrill, let's go!" He threw the ball and a Beedrill was released from the confines. I smiled and grabbed Sting's Pokéball.

"Well, let's start off on even footing shall we?" I asked. I pointed the ball ahead of me and I opened it. Sting appeared with a buzzing yawn. "Sting, how would you like some more battle practice?" He nodded while Tim watched.

"Wow, you have a Beedrill too?" He asked. "He looks really strong." He looked at his own Beedrill. "But he can't beat you buddy." His Beedrill buzzed and began flapping his wings. "Let's lead off with a Fury Attack." His Beedrill buzzed over quickly and began stabbing at Sting with his arms.

"Dodge and wait for an opening." I said calmly. Sting dodged effortlessly while his counterpart stung rapidly. I watched carefully for any signs of an opening in his attacks. After a moment I spotted it. "Now, Signal Beam!" Sting buzzed and fired a green beam from his right stinger, forcing the other Beedrill back near Tim. "Follow with Twin Needle." He buzzed louder as Tim hesitated. The attack hit the Beedrill directly in the stomach. "Finish with another Signal Beam." Tim gasped as his Beedrill fell to the ground directly in front of him while Sting buzzed over to me. "Good job Sting. You're getting faster." He nodded and yawned again. "We may have to get you used to being awake in the day Sting. If I have to keep calling on you, you should endeavor to sleep at night like the rest of us." He nodded and buzzed quietly as I held up his Pokéball. "But for now, you've earned some shuteye." He nodded and tapped the ball.

"Wow, you're a great trainer." Tim said. I blushed and set Sting's ball back on my belt. "I trained like crazy and you still beat my Pokémon." He smiled. "I guess I'll have to train even harder. I'll work hard until I can win." I smiled as he held his hands in front of him. "I'll get you one day." Liz giggled while he looked at the sky.

"I'm sure you will Tim." I said. He nodded and smiled wider. "You did a good job raising your Beedrill, but you can't win with just one Pokémon." He nodded again. I walked up to him with Liz still on my left arm. I held out my right hand and he took it in his own. "You're going to go far Tim, I can see it in your eyes." He smiled and shook my hand. Liz let go of my arm and held out her right hand.

"Wow." He said. He hadn't really noticed her at first. "Liz? Is that really you?" She nodded as he took her hand. He looked at her face and smiled.  
…

We walked into the East Gate of Saffron City. There were many buildings of great heights, and there were a lot of people walking around. Liz was holding onto my arm tightly as she looked at all of the people.

"Wow, this city really is as big as they said." I said quietly. "I didn't expect this much though." Liz nodded as I looked around. "I guess we should find a hotel."

"Excuse me, could you wait there for a moment sir?" A female voice asked. I looked to my right and saw Officer Jenny stepping off of her motorcycle. She walked over to us as we turned. "Are you Gene 'Zero' Alastor?" I nodded. "There's a package waiting for you at the post office. They've insisted that you pick it up as soon as possible." I nodded. "It's been there for about six days and that's two days longer than they were told they'd be holding it for you." I nodded again.

"We'll make it our first priority." I said. She nodded.

"I'm also stopping you to let you know that there was a man claiming to be working for you." She said. "He wants to meet you at the Pokémaster hotel. He's set up a reservation for you. I'd like you to be cautious. He seemed very suspicious." I nodded as she pulled out a photo and handed it to me. I looked it over and nodded again.

"That's Johan." I explained. "He works for Silph Co." She nodded. "He's also the guy that does research for me." I handed her the picture. "He's just got that creepy feel about him." She nodded with a small smile. "He's a good guy though."

"Well, I've got to go back to my rounds." She said. I nodded. "Stay out of trouble."  
…

I walked into the hotel room with the package under my right arm. Several books on ancient mythology and legends, and I noticed one book was an old journal about ancient Pokémon. I looked around while Liz clung tighter to my arm. Johan gave off a bit of a creepy vibe that could be felt just from knowing he was in the same room.

"Ah, mister Alastor." Johan's voice said quietly. He had a light Germanic accent and he had a habit of sneaking up on people. "It is good to see you again my friend." I looked to my left and saw him sitting on a chair in the corner of the room. He stood up and set his hands together in front of him, something that made him seem like an evil genius. "And you have indeed captured and trained a Ralts." He looked Liz over. "And a beautiful shiny one no less, well done my friend." I smiled as Liz clung tighter to me.

"Johan, I do believe you're scaring her." I said. He smiled and chuckled quietly. "People think you're creepy, and some of the things you do don't help your case." He smiled wider and closed his eye. He was a short man, about five foot three. His hair was a dark brown and he had an eye patch over his left eye. It wasn't that his eye was bad; it was just that it was sensitive to light. His eyes were bright green and they were kinder than the rest of his features. The most unnerving feature of his was his pasty skin. He spent a great deal of his time indoors doing research on ancient cultures to devise new technology to help understand Pokémon. "So, you wanted to talk to me about something?" He nodded.

"I've discovered a few myths and legends about humans becoming part Pokémon." He said. "There is a legend among some that say a man will become part Pokémon to protect the world from a number of disasters." I nodded. "There is no name, but there are many myths stating that he will have a Pikachu with him at all times from his tenth birthday and that he will forever have at least two companions." I nodded again, remembering Ash and Misty. "There is another that states that an ancestor of his was a Pokémon, which would reinforce the previous myth." He smiled and then looked at Liz. "Tell me something Zero, why is it you wanted a Ralts so badly to be your first Pokémon? I find it strange that you waited ten years, putting off your journey, just for a single Pokémon?" I shrugged.

"I've always liked Ralts and all of the evolutionary forms." I replied simply. "Ralts can pick up on their trainer's feelings and they try to make them feel happy." He nodded while Liz smiled. "Kirlia are the same, and they like to dance to make their trainers feel better." Liz nodded while Johan looked at her with a strange look. "And Gardevoir make for great friends." I looked at Liz. "Gardevoir would protect their trainer from anything that would kill them, going so far as to sacrifice themselves to save them. A bond is formed so strong that it is likened to the most pure form of friendship, where one friend would gladly die to save the other."

"And Gallade?" He asked. "What of the male exclusive counterpart to Gardevoir?" I smiled.

"Gallade would protect his trainer much the same as a Gardevoir." I replied. "He would go to the ends of the world and back to defend his friends." Johan nodded and pulled out a notepad and wrote down what I had said. "I see that my speech has given you an idea?" He nodded and continued writing.

"I see a possibility for a novel." He said. "As you know, I like reading various myths and legends, but I do enjoy a good novel once in a while. So now I have decided to write my own, and I think I may have the inspiration for the main character." He looked at me. "A kind human trainer that finds a wounded Ralts on the side of a road one dark summer night, the wind howling and blowing. He takes pity on the poor little Pokémon and he takes it to his home, despite the fact that he has very little food and money for even his own needs." I nodded while Liz watched his visible eye light up with joy. "Over the span of a month, the tiny Pokémon recovers her strength and they develop a strong friendship. They work together over the following weeks and he sells his home and heads out on a journey." He smiled. "Yes, I think I can do something with this. I think I may well be able to write a masterwork with this idea."  
…

I looked out the window, considering whether or not to challenge the Saffron Gym. It was night, and the stars were beautiful. I looked down at the streets, amazed that I could still see the stars so clearly with all of the lights. There were a lot of people going about the night life, mainly going out to eat at fine restaurants or going to movies or theatres. I set my arms on the pane of the window and set my legs out further behind me. Liz was asleep in the bed, tired from the days walking. I was still okay for another hour or so, and I took the time to enjoy the view from the room.

'Wow, the stars sure are bright.' I thought. 'So many people say you can't get a good view of the stars from the city, but I guess this city is the exception to the rule.' I smiled and switched my feet. It had been a great day. I had found the full version of the legend involving me, but I simply closed the book at it, deciding that Nurse Joy was most likely right. Knowing too much about what I was supposed to do might make it feel different, or even wrong. I looked at the book that held my legend. It was black and leather bound, a very rare book as well. It was obtained from a collector of legends, but he had several copies that he was content with. This was the original, a two hundred year old book of legends. I had read two others, finding various legends about extremely rare Pokémon. 'Maybe I should challenge Sabrina now. Mawile is a steel type with Crunch as one of her strongest attacks, and that happens to be a dark attack.' I looked at Liz and then at another package. Johan had left me five 'Technical machines'. By using them, just like a DVD, she could learn new attacks or special techniques. I had looked at the titles of them and four of them had caught my attention. There were two copies of each, in case I found another Pokémon that could use them. Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Shadow ball were there in duplicates so Liz and one of my other Pokémon could learn them. I decided that I would learn the four attacks instead of the other Pokémon, since I figured that I could use them just as effectively. 'To better protect her, I may as well fight like a Pokémon.' I looked over at her and smiled. She was sleeping peacefully, and I realized that I had already fallen for her. But that fall had occurred long ago, when we had first met. I loved her the night she came into my tent, but it was a different love. Now, my love had turned into something more. As a Kirlia, I loved her as my best friend. But now she was almost as tall as me, just shy by a few inches. Her face was perfect, framed by her soft hair. Her golden eyes were almost hypnotic, and she was almost always smiling. I stepped over to the bed and sat down beside her carefully. I set my right hand on her head and I softly stroked her hair. She sighed quietly and smiled. 'How did I get so lucky? How did I get lucky enough to have you as my first Pokémon, and my first true friend?' She moved her head to her chest as I stroked her hair. 'And you're my one; you're the girl I'm destined to spend my life with.' I smiled as she continued breathing quietly. 'I just can't believe my luck. I meet you on a rainy night, and you're parents trusted me with keeping you safe.'

"Devoir." She said quietly. She was talking in her sleep. I felt a great deal of joy from her. She was apparently having a good dream. I smiled wider and leaned down and kissed the top of her head softly.

"Goodnight Liz." I whispered. I stood up and walked around the bed and slipped under the covers. She rolled over and placed her left arm over my chest. I smiled as I closed my eyes. Sting was in his ball so he could try to keep up with us. Mawile slept on the couch with a blanket since she liked sleeping out of her ball. Sting, for some reason, could sleep almost anywhere. Garth was resting in the Pokémon's pool in the back of the hotel. He wouldn't be doing much for our badges, but he was very strong. Every day we traveled near a body of water, he would train against the local aquatic Pokémon to become stronger. 'Should I challenge the gym tomorrow? Liz will be hurt, and there's no way around that. But if she wins against Sabrina, we can get this city out of the way and we won't have to go back to try again.' I looked at her and worried about how bad she would be hurt. I hoped that she would just be rendered unconscious, but I felt that it could end up worse. I wanted to keep her safe for as long as possible, but I wanted to get the pain out of the way as soon as we could. I finally closed my eyes and decided to go battle Sabrina in the morning. 'I'm sorry Liz. I know that you'll be hurt, but it's best to get this pain out of the way sooner rather than later. I'd rather we just do this now.' I sighed and placed my right hand on hers and she smiled. 'You're so beautiful. I don't know how I ever got by without you.' I smiled and felt sleep slowly coming over me.


	7. A little talk

Okay, here we go, chapter seven. I worked hard on this one so please review. Thanks go to DragonLord Seth, my new co-author. He helps locate any bugs I miss.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Lawyers please leave my castle in an orderly manner or face my royal honor guard.  
…

We walked up to the main doors of the Gym and we looked at it intently. Liz was floating beside me with my right hand in her left.

"That is one big building." I said. She nodded while I looked at the gigantic doors. "Does she have a trainer with a Steelix in there?" She giggled. "There is no practical reason to have doors that big. I've got money coming out of my ears, and I find those doors just too much. I've got so much money that I'll never get rid of even a fifth of it, and I can't see a reason to have doors this big." She giggled more as I quickly pushed the thought of what would happen to her out of my mind. I shook my head. "The only way these doors can be justified is if they're for scaring younger trainers to train harder before trying to earn this badge." She nodded and began floating forward. "Are you sure about this? I've heard that she's a big cut above Surge. Our earlier battles were easy because we were ready, and because you have the advantage of being psychic." She smiled and pulled me forward. "Okay Liz, I'm just worried that something might go bad here. I hear she does this one on one and she has some powerful psychic types." She pulled harder and I walked along as she went up the steps. "She may even have an Alakazam." She shrugged and continued. "Okay, but don't blame me if that's her choice against you. She'll pick her strongest to deal with the likes of you." She smiled and the doors slowly swung open. "Now, that is exactly why those doors are so pointless. You can't close them effectively. The present nicely, but they just aren't practical." She giggled again as we walked in. A man in a mask greeted us.

"Ah, a new trainer to challenge Sabrina." He said mystically. Liz stared at him while I adjusted my hat. "You would be wise to turn away while you have the chance. You cannot win, so you should give up now." I smiled and he gave me an odd look. "You believe your Pokémon stands a chance?" I nodded.

"Liz and I already have three badges, and we haven't had any trouble." I said. "I think we have a good chance to win, same as anyone else who tries." The man looked us over and produced a spoon.

"You are familiar with psychic Pokémon, as your partner is one herself." He said mysteriously. He looked at the spoon. "I have but a fraction of Sabrina's potential." He groaned loudly and his face turned red with concentration. After a minute of groaning loudly the spoon began bending. He stopped and panted loudly while I looked at the spoon. "Sabrina would make this spoon into a knot with minimal focus." I focused on the spoon and bent it over and made it into a wave pattern. He looked at me as I smiled.

"What you do with your full focus, Sabrina does effortlessly?" I asked. He nodded as the spoon straightened easily. "Liz would destroy the spoon and repair it easily, and I can simply bend it with a casual thought." He looked at the spoon as it floated out of his hand and into my left. I looked at it and it bent from one side to another, following my gaze. I looked at him and handed him the spoon. "It's not about conscious effort; it's about letting it flow easily. Follow the flow and let the spoon bend itself." He looked at me and shook his head.

"You have your ways, and I have mine." He said. "But if you wish to face Sabrina, then follow me." He turned around and began walking down a large hall. We followed and I had to ask the one question on my mind.

"Why are the doors and the hall so tall?" I asked. He looked at me over his left shoulder. "I mean, the door is massive, the ceiling is so tall you need a four story ladder to change a light bulb, and the lighting is a bit dim. What is the whole purpose of it?" He looked ahead. "Are you just trying to scare the ever living daylights out of people? Are you trying to say that the Gym is making a lot of money? What's the deal?" He looked at us again.

"There is little chance of victory against Sabrina." He said calmly. "The odds of victory are staggering, no matter who is facing her. Even trainers with years of work under their belts have been scared by her technique." I nodded. "The weak realize they must work harder in order to challenge her. They must know that they should be at their best in order to so much as gaze upon her." He scoffed. "I only let you challenge her so that you will realize that you can't win." I smiled as another giant set of doors opened.

"Again with the giant doors." I said audibly. "I've got enough money for doors like this, but they're just not practical." The man chuckled as we stepped past them. "It's just too fancy for me."

"Sabrina, you have a challenger." He said, kneeling on a red carpet. A pair of eyes went blue behind a deep purple curtain. The man stood up and he seemed to be in pain. Seconds later he was released from what looked like a psychic stranglehold and he ran out of the room.

"So, you wish to challenge me?" A female voice asked. I nodded and walked forward. "You will not win. Your Pokémon is not strong enough." I stopped smiling as she emerged from behind the curtain. She had long green hair and she wore a plum colored outfit. A small child walked behind her, but she herself levitated. She landed at the end of the battlefield and the child stepped in front of her. "Do you still wish to try?" I nodded as Liz stepped onto the field.

"I've got complete faith in Liz." I said. "As long as we trust each other, I think we can overcome any obstacle." She nodded as the little girl held a Pokéball in front of her.

"Then you will face Alakazam." She said.

"This will be a one on one match." Sabrina said calmly. "And it will end with your Pokémon being defeated, and you becoming my personal slave." I smiled.

"Liz, let's show her how we handle things." I said confidently. She nodded while the little girls Pokéball opened and an Alakazam appeared. He looked very powerful, and he had an expression similar to Sabrina's. "So, who starts this little shindig?" She looked at me and I nodded. "Okay, if you insist." I pointed my right hand forward and gave a serious look. I knew Liz would be hurt, but I wanted her to win so we could leave Sabrina far behind. "Let's start this with Shadow Ball Liz." Liz looked at me and nodded shakily. I had never been so serious around her. She held her hands behind her and charged the dark energy while Sabrina and Alakazam gave matching looks of indifference. "Wait. Something isn't right. They're too calm." Liz looked at me and let the energy stay in her hands. "Save the ball and use Thunder Punch. Follow with Shadow Ball regardless." She nodded shakily. I forced a smile and she seemed to calm down. She ran up to Alakazam, her left fist arcing with electricity while her right had a strange purple darkness around it. She slammed her fist against his chest and then she fired the Shadow Ball into his face, sending him back several feet.

"Recover." Sabrina said calmly. Liz backed away while Alakazam stood up, looking as strong as when we started.

"That can't be good." I said.

"Psychic." Sabrina droned. Liz groaned and was lifted into the air.

"Liz, counter it with your own Psychic." I called quickly. "Break his hold and fire another Shadow Ball." She groaned and fell to the ground. Sabrina seemed unfazed. Liz stood up and began charging the attack. "Try for two Liz, and keep them coming. Hit him with as many as you can." She nodded and winced, charging the ghostly energy.

"Use Psybeam." Sabrina said calmly. I grimaced as he put his spoons together.

"Teleport to dodge anything he throws at you." I called quickly. She teleported from the rainbow beam and I realized the error of my plan. The beam was now headed at me. I stepped to my left and it burned the sleeve of my duster. "Holy!" I stepped back and looked at Sabrina. "You don't really care if you get a slave with one arm do you?" She looked at Liz, now five yards to the right. "Be careful Liz; I don't think she's too worried if you get seriously hurt." She nodded and threw two Shadow Ball attacks, and Alakazam dodged both of them. "Teleport and use Fire and Ice Punch, follow with Psybeam, and toss him around with Psychic." She nodded quickly and teleported in front of him with one fist burning and one with a cold shimmer.

"Teleport." Sabrina ordered.

"Keep with him Liz." I called. "Don't let him get too far from you." She and Alakazam teleported around, flames and shards of ice appearing and flickering away.

"Use Psychic and finish her off." Sabrina ordered harshly. They both reappeared suddenly and Liz was thrown toward me. She hit the ground hard and slid two feet from me. I stepped forward and knelt by her.

"Liz!" I called. "Are you okay?" She opened her eyes and looked at me weakly. "Liz, please, say something." She closed her eyes quickly and stood up slowly. I stood up and she faced Alakazam. "Liz, we don't have to keep this up. We can still get out of here." She shook her head and I felt a lot of anger from her. She coughed once and I saw some blood at the right corner of her mouth. "Liz, please, you don't need to do this. We need to get you to the Pokémon Center." She shook her head and I felt her anger. I remembered an attack that could just let us win. "Liz, let's use it." She nodded. I pointed at Alakazam. I lowered my voice and matched her anger at Sabrina's careless regard for Liz. "Let's give a Dark Pulse with a Teleport to hide it." She nodded.

"Psybeam, full power, now." Sabrina ordered. I smiled. She had no idea what would hit her. The beam fired and Liz teleported. The beam went over my shoulder, just missing my right ear. She appeared in front of Alakazam as his attack ended and she let out a burst of black energy, laced with anger, malice, and hatred. The pulse flung Alakazam to the ground in front of Sabrina, out cold in one hit. She seemed shocked, and I was feeling happy at the sudden feeling of joy from Liz. She teleported in front of me, facing me with a small trickle of blood going down her face from her mouth, and she was smiling. "You have defeated Alakazam." I smiled as Liz hugged me tightly.

"You did it Liz." I whispered. "I knew you could do it." She looked at me with a half smile. "I was just worried that you might be hurt." She smiled wider and hugged me again as Sabrina hovered over.

"I underestimated you." She said simply. The badge floated up to me and I grabbed it with my right hand. "Your Pokémon is stronger than I had thought." I smiled and put the badge in my pocket. I tried to move Liz away from me but she wouldn't move.

"Liz, I know you're happy, but this is getting a bit embarrassing." I said. I pushed her away as her arms went slack. "Liz?" I looked at her face and she had her eyes closed. "Liz, you're scaring me." I shook her lightly while Sabrina looked us over. "Oh no." I looked at Liz intently and moved my left arm behind her and I picked her up. "Damn, she's hurt bad Sabrina." I looked at the door.

"I shall teleport you to the Pokémon Center." She said. I looked at her as her eyes glowed. "You may have won, but you should have quit while you had the chance." The last I saw of her was a flash of light.  
…

"Oh my goodness." Nurse Joy called. I turned and saw that I was in the main room of the Center. "What happened?"

"I challenged Sabrina." I said. She ran over to me and looked at Liz. "Her Alakazam slammed her against the ground, but she kept fighting. She wouldn't let me throw in the towel." Two Chansey ran over with a gurney and I set Liz on it carefully. "I should have gone with my gut and just had her teleport us here in the first place."

"I've told her to go easier on trainers." Joy said quietly. The Chansey walked the gurney into a double door leading to the ER. "We'll take good care of her. She doesn't look too bad. I think she's just tired." I bit my lower lip and walked over to the doors as she walked through them. "Please wait outside. I'll let you know when we're finished." I nodded and the doors closed. I was alone in the main room. I walked over to a couch but I couldn't sit.

"This is bad." I muttered. 'I knew this would happen.' I looked at the door as the sign above it lit up. 'I should have prepared for it better though.' I looked around and paced nervously. I knew she would live, but I was worried that she might have problems later in her life. I bit my lower lip and sat down on a couch and set my hands together. I looked up at the door every few seconds, unable to shake the feeling of worry from my mind. "This isn't fair. She fought so hard, she beat the scariest Gym leader around, and she passes out seconds after winning." I looked up at the door and bit my lip again, wishing I could chance removing my sunglasses. It would draw no end of attention if someone walked in though, and that would draw dozens of reporters, and they would hound me until I was dead. That could mean that they would bother Liz, and there was no way I would take a chance with her safety and recovery. "Come on Liz, I know you'll pull through this." I felt a strange calm fill my mind, and I knew that it was her. I sent back some joy and I felt her calm still with me. I stood up and walked to the doors. I looked through the window and I saw Chansey walking into and out of a room and I wondered if Liz was in there. 'Come on Liz, come on. You have to pull through. You have to stay with me for a while yet.' I turned around and saw that there weren't any security cameras. I looked all around and saw none at all. I walked back to the couch and I sat down and focused my mind. I looked at the door and saw that it was getting dark. I had lost track of time and was walking around the waiting room for several hours while Liz was being helped. I looked at the ground and closed my eyes.

"Zero." A voice said. I looked up quickly and saw him standing at the door to the ER. It was Liz's father, the Gallade from the forest. "My daughter has been hurt." I looked at the ground. "You promised not to let this happen." I nodded and removed my hat and set it on a nearby table. "I know that you didn't want it to happen, but it did. What do you plan to do?" I shook my head.

"I plan to stay by her side once she's out of that room." I said weakly. I hadn't stopped to eat or drink in ten hours. My throat was dry and my voice was rough. "I didn't want her to get hurt, but she wanted to keep fighting after I told her to stop." I looked up at him. "I felt her anger, and I remembered a powerful dark attack." He nodded.

"Dark Pulse." He said. I nodded. "It is a very dangerous attack, but it is good for an emergency attack." He shook his head. "Liz always wanted to battle, and she saw you as a way to find it. She wanted desperately to prove herself to her mother and me." I lowered my head again and removed my sunglasses and rubbed my eyes. "She needs to learn that life isn't about proving themselves to others."

"It's about proving yourself to yourself." I finished. I looked at him as he nodded. He walked over to me and looked at my face. "How is it I understand what you're saying?" He smiled and I looked at the ground. "You gave me an arm like yours, and you gave me an eye the same." I looked at my right hand. "I've got a blade on my arm and I've got psychic power." I looked at him. "And now I can understand what you're saying." He nodded. "To anyone else, they hear you saying your name over and over again. I hear you speaking perfect English." I shook my head. "You really did a number on my brain."

"You cannot understand what I am saying." He said. "I am speaking directly into your mind and you're simply seeing me speak." I nodded.

"So you're still doing a number on my brain." I said with a quiet chuckle. He nodded but he wasn't smiling. "I'm expecting you to give me another scar to live with." He shook his head. "Well then, I'm at your mercy regardless." I looked at the floor and then at my right hand. "I screwed up big time. I knew what was coming."

"You know of the legend?" He asked. I nodded slowly.

"Part of it." I replied. "I know that I'm going to be part Gallade until the grave. I know that I'm supposed to bring about a new age of understanding and respect between humans and Pokémon." I clenched my right hand. "I know that I'm some chosen chump who's been given a chance to do something great. But now I wonder if maybe it was someone else that was supposed to have the honor." I felt his left hand on my right shoulder.

"You are the chosen one Zero." He said. "You are the man that will be my daughters mate." I looked up at him as he patted my shoulder. "You humans select a mate, and you consider yourselves part of the mate's family. This goes for the mate as well. You merge families with a ceremony." I nodded. "Humans may not go through this ceremony with Pokémon, but I believe that I am proud to call you my son." I smiled as he patted my shoulder again. He looked at the door as the light above it went out. "Keep her safe Zero. She has grown fast, and she still does not realize your feelings." He looked at me. "I trust you with my child, so I want you to be careful with her. I must go now." I nodded.

"I hope we'll meet again soon." I said. I held out my right hand and he took it in his own. "Dad." He smiled as he shook my hand. When he let go of my hand he disappeared, no doubt teleporting back to his mate. I put on my sunglasses and grabbed my hat. I put it on my head and stood up as Nurse Joy walked into the room. She looked exhausted. She looked at me and I waited for her to tell me that Liz was okay. "How is she Nurse Joy?" She smiled weakly and nodded.

"She's perfectly fine." She said. "The bleeding in her mouth was from her biting her lip a little too hard. She'll be a bit sore from her injuries, and we found that she had used a powerful dark attack." I nodded. "It weakened her and she passed out from using so much of her strength in an attack that wasn't meant to be used by her type." I lowered my head.

"We were fighting Sabrina's Alakazam." I explained. "He threw her to the ground with his psychic attacks, and she looked hurt. She was angry and, well; I could feel it in my own heart as if I had taken the hit myself." She nodded. "I remembered a powerful attack called Dark Pulse. The user thinks and focuses on negative emotions, and anger is a prominent part of it." She nodded again. "I told her to use it, and she let it all out at once. I didn't think she would use all of the power." I felt a tear run down my right cheek. "I should have just told her to stick to Shadow Ball or something else." She placed her right hand on my left shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault." She said. "She likely didn't realize that she only had to use a little bit. Sabrina called and told me that her Alakazam is still out. I think Liz may have overdone it to more than herself." I nodded.

"I'll remember to apologize before I leave." I said calmly. She smiled. "Can I see her now?" She nodded.

"She's unconscious now, but she should be able to hear you." She said. She opened the door and I walked through behind her.  
…

I walked into the room and saw Liz sleeping on a bed. They had used special Potions to close the wound on her lip, so there were no stitches. Her head was rested on a pillow and the moon was shining on her face. I walked up to her as Nurse Joy closed the door behind me. I grabbed a chair and set it by the bed. I sat down and removed my hat, setting it on the table next to her, followed by my sunglasses. I pulled off my gloves and put them in their respective duster pockets. I smiled as I noticed the burn on my left upper sleeve. I looked down at her and placed my right hand on her head softly.

"Oh Liz, I'm so sorry about this." I whispered. "We should have just kept going to Celadon. If I knew that this was going to happen I never would have challenged her." I stroked her hair softly and she moaned quietly. Her left hand rolled to her side and I placed my left hand over hers. "I'm sorry."  
…

Author's notes: Okay, we're getting to my favorite part of this fic. Can you feel the friendship between these two? Can't you just taste his worry for her? He knew what would happen, so he may seem mean, but he knew she'd be alright. He had to do it, so he wanted it over and done with sooner rather than later.


	8. Love and Health

Okay, chapter eight. I'm glad this fic is getting so much attention. And it has come to my attention, thanks to DragonLord Seth, that I've been ending most of my chapters with cliffhangers. I honestly didn't notice this until he told me. Thank ye kindly. And I'm terribly sorry for the late posting.

Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon in any form. Nor does my Colleague DragonLord Seth, because if we did, the show would have been much more violent.  
…

I opened my eyes to a bright light. I slowly moved my right hand, but I felt a tight grip keeping my hand where it was. I opened my left eye slowly and it focused quickly. I saw Liz holding my hand in both of hers. I was still in the chair and she was on the hospital bed from the night before. I smiled as she continued breathing softly. She gripped my hand tighter and I gripped back gently. I felt some fear, so I felt that she was having a nightmare. She sharply inhaled and gripped my hand painfully.

"It's okay Liz, I'm here." I whispered. I leaned in and closed my eyes. "I'll always be with you." I suddenly saw a flash of light. I was in the Gym again. I saw myself lying on the ground with Alakazam stomping on me while I tried to crawl away. I looked to where I was crawling and I saw Liz chained to a wall, a helmet sparking and keeping her from teleporting. "Liz!" I took a step toward her and Sabrina stepped into my way.

"I told you she was weak." She said. Her voice echoed in an evil manner. "Now she has to watch you die, and she can't do a thing about it." She smiled and another Alakazam appeared behind her. She stepped away and I growled.

"I don't think so Sabrina." I said dangerously. My left fist burst into flame as the Alakazam approached. I slammed my fist into his face and he flew back. I had experienced dozens of nightmares in the past. So many had hounded me, I had found a way to tell a dream whenever I was in one. "This is little more than a nightmare, and you just picked the wrong one to be a part of." I walked over to Liz, Psybeams striking and bouncing off of me. I slammed dozens of Sabrina's and Alakazam's away with a casual, but flame covered, left hook. I walked up to Liz as she stared at the injured dream version of me on the ground, now left alone by a giant Alakazam. I removed the helmet and she stared at me. "It's okay Liz. It's just a dream." She shook her head as the chains holding her vanished. "I'm always here to protect you Liz. I'll always come for you, no matter how bad it gets, and no matter how far." She hugged me tightly and I turned to the massive Alakazam and I raised my right hand to him while my left was extinguished. "And I've about had it with you Sabrina." The Alakazam changed into the Gym leader and gave us a cruel smile. A ball of gold energy formed in my right hand, the legendary Hyper Beam. This attack was able, depending on the user, to end battles in one shot. The only problem was, it was an unpredictable move that was hard to aim. It was a hit or miss type of attack that left the user weakened. If it missed, the opponent had a few seconds to get in a free hit or two. But this was a dream, so this attack would decimate the entire battlefield, except for us. "You've haunted Liz only once, but that's one time to many." Liz clung to me and buried her head in my left shoulder. I smiled. "Don't worry Liz, this time I'm not going to let you get hurt." She looked up at me as Sabrina bent forward and reached her giant right hand at us. I smiled wider and fired the powerful attack. "You're not going to hurt her Sabrina!" Suddenly my view went black and I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was sitting in my chair and I was sweating. My hands were at my sides and I looked around the room. 'It was all just a dream.'

"Devoir?" Liz asked sleepily. She had her eyes open and she was looking at me concernedly. I could feel her worry in my heart so I smiled.

"I'm okay Liz." I said quietly. "I just had a bit of a dream." I rubbed my eyes and felt her worry lessen, but only a small amount. "I'm fine Liz, I promise." I moved my hands away and saw her with tears forming in her eyes. I sighed. "I had a dream that you were having a nightmare. I tried to calm you down and I closed my eyes. I went into your dream, and you were dreaming that Sabrina was having her Alakazam kill me while you watched helplessly." She gasped while I smiled. "I knocked out dozens of Alakazam and at least six or seven of her." She put her hands to her mouth. "What is it?" She gave me a confused look. "You were really dreaming that?" She nodded and I put my right hand to my forehead. "Wow, I was in a dream, and I went from my mind to yours to get you out of your nightmare." She nodded. "Well, I meant what I said in there." She blushed. "I'll be with you for a long time. And I'll protect you no matter what." She tried to sit up but she could barely move. I smiled and held my right hand out to her. She took my hand in both of hers and smiled. "You're my best friend Liz. I'll always be here for you, through thick and thin." She smiled wider and closed her eyes. "As long as we have each other, we'll be alright." She opened her eyes and she seemed close to tears. I moved my left hand over hers and she looked at my hat and sunglasses. I heard footsteps and I quickly used my psychic powers to move my shades to cover my eyes. The door opened and I heard Nurse Joy walk behind me.

"How are you two doing?" She asked quietly. I looked at her and smiled.

"Apart from some weird dreams, I think we're okay." I replied. I looked at Liz and she nodded.

"That's good." Joy said calmly. "I just need to do some quick tests and I should be able to tell you when you can head out." She pointed the end of a thermometer toward Liz. "But I want you to avoid any battles for at least a week. You need to avoid using your psychic powers for anything more than lifting anything heavier than a glass of water for at least as long, maybe even for an extra half of a week." Liz nodded and smiled.

"She's serious Liz." I said. She looked at me confusedly. "You overdid the Dark Pulse, and your mental powers are going to be weakened for a while." I looked at Joy and she seemed surprised. "I did a lot of research on psychic Pokémon." She smiled while I blushed and looked at Liz. "If you can't take it easy, then we're staying put in Saffron for three weeks." She nodded while biting her lower lip lightly.  
…

She was allowed to leave a few hours later and I took her up to our hotel room. Johan had left for Silph Co. while Liz and I would rest in the suite for the week and a half. She had to cling to my arm to walk, but I didn't mind. She was still very weak, both physically and psychically. We walked into the room and she suddenly lowered herself to the floor.

"Liz, are you okay?" I asked. I knelt with her as she set her long slender legs on the ground. She nodded and tried to stand. "No Liz, stay down for a few seconds. You still need to rest for a while." She nodded with a blush. She quickly moved the hem of her dress to cover her legs, and I caught a glimpse of something else. I blushed and moved my left hand to her right shoulder. "Don't worry Liz. You'll get your strength back, and you'll be stronger than ever." She smiled and looked at me as I patted her shoulder softly. I felt a strong joy from her, but it wasn't quite the same happiness as we'd shared before. It was much stronger. I smiled, pretending that I didn't notice. She tried to stand so I moved my left arm around her and under her own left arm. "Okay, let's get you to the bed and I'll get some room service." She nodded and I helped her up. She stood shakily and she fell into my side. "It's okay Liz." She blushed deeper. "Lean on me. It's okay." She nodded and I walked her over to the room, but she seemed like she was going to fall again. "Hang on." I knelt with her as she slid to the floor again. I chuckled quietly while she blushed even deeper. "Okay, we're making progress." I felt some sadness so I stopped. "I'm sorry Liz. This isn't fun for either of us is it?" She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. "It's okay Liz. It's okay." I looked at her as she started crying. "I'm sorry Liz. I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I'm just worried about you." She looked up at me as I removed my sunglasses and set them on the ground. "I thought I was going to lose you for a while. I was so worried that I was going to lose my best friend." She smiled and nuzzled my shoulder. I set my right hand on her head and I felt some of the happiness returning to her. "If I ever lost you Liz, I'd never be the same." She leaned into me as I slowly stroked her hair. "You were the first real friend I've ever had, and I've been so proud of everything you've done from the moment we first met." I smiled as she became calmer. "You've come a long way from a little blue Ralts clinging to my arm to stay close to me." She looked up at me as I smiled wider. "You've taken on four Gym Leaders, and you've always risen to meet them head on." She smiled as I closed my eyes. "You went from a cute little Ralts to a beautiful Gardevoir." I opened my eyes and saw hers starting to tear again, but this time from joy. "I'm glad that the rain sent you to my tent that night." She smiled and nodded. I looked to the bed. "Do you feel up to the last leg to the bed?" I looked at her as she nodded. My sunglasses floated up and went into my right pocket. She moved her right arm over my right shoulder and I put my right hand over hers in a gentle grip. I moved my left arm under hers and she nodded. "Okay, let's go." We stood up together and she immediately began shaking. I used my power to lift her slightly off of the ground and she looked at me. "No more stops until you are on that bed. Not until you lay down." I smiled and started walking. She floated to my left and I walked her around to the right side of the bed. She blushed as I lifted her legs with my right arm. She squirmed as I set her down as gently as I could. "Okay, now that you're settled here, I'm going to see if I can't find the number for room service." I tried to move away but she had her right arm around my neck and she wouldn't let me go.

"Devoir." She said quietly. I felt fear from her and I looked into her eyes. I figured that I must have looked a total mess. My hair was all over the place, my eyes were mismatched, and I hadn't showered in two days.

"Liz, I'll be right back." I said. "I just need to make a quick call and I'll get some food." She shook her head and wouldn't let go. "Liz, we need to eat something. I know you ought to be hungry by now. We missed lunch and dinner last night, and all we've had today was a very light breakfast." She shook her head again and I sighed. "Okay, if you want me by your side, I've got other ways of getting food." She smiled as the chair across the room floated behind me. She let go of my neck as I sat down. I pulled out a phone from my pocket as a menu floated over. "If you won't let me get to the room phone, I'll just call from here." She giggled while I looked for the number. "Where did they put it?" I looked it over and finally found it on the inside on the bottom left corner. "See what you want and then dial. These folks really know how to string a guy along." A piece of paper floated over, accompanied by a mechanical pencil. I looked the menu over and wrote down what I wanted. Three grilled cheese sandwiches and a glass of Oran Juice. She placed her left hand on the menu and I looked at her. "Are you tiring of your Pokémon food?" She nodded. I sighed. "I really spoil you Liz. You won't get your nutrients if you don't eat your specially balanced formula. If I'm going to protect you, you need to be healthy." She nodded. "You're eating some of your formula with whatever you order, I mean it." She nodded again. "Every single bit of the Pokémon food, and whatever you order." She smiled as I held the menu out to her. She looked it over and pointed to a picture of the cheese sandwich. "Okay, one grilled cheese, that makes four." She giggled while I added a plus one to the order. I looked at the menu as she pointed to the clear amber liquid. "And a glass of Leppa Juice." I wrote it down and looked at her. "I'm making one call, so I hope you're certain." She nodded as my backpack floated over to the side of the chair. The others were still at the Center, getting a checkup. I dialed the number and looked at the menu. They used only natural ingredients, which made me happy. They were specially made for both humans and Pokémon. I put the phone to my ear and heard the line ring twice before it was picked up.

"Hello, you have reached the Pokémaster Hotel." A calm male voice answered. "How may I assist you?"

"Hello, this is Zero Alastor in room Six Twelve." I replied. "I'd like to order some room service."

"Mr. Alastor, why did you not simply call Room Service from the room phone?" He asked.

"Well, you might have noticed that my Gardevoir, Liz, was feeling kind of weak." I said. "I tried to get to the phone but I had to carry her to the bed and she wouldn't let me get to the phone. I had to move the chair to the bed so I could stay close to her."

"I see." He said. "She is worried that you would leave her alone."

"Yes." I replied. "She was hurt by Sabrina's Alakazam. I guess she's just a bit shaken."

"I'll connect you to room service then." He said. "One moment please." I smiled as Liz put her left hand on mine, which sat on the bed beside her.

"Hello Mr. Alastor." A cheery female voice said. "I hope Liz is okay. I heard from the desk clerk that she's hurt."

"She's doing fine, but she's a little tired." I replied. "She just needs to take it easy for a couple of weeks."

"Well, I'll make sure everything we send up is okay for her." The girl replied. "So, what do you want sent up?" I smiled.

"Well, we'd like four grilled cheese sandwiches, a glass of Oran Juice, and a glass of Leppa Juice." I said calmly. I heard a pen scratching and then being set down.

"Okay, we'll have it up in a little bit." She said. "I'll be delivering this myself."

"I'll see if Liz won't let me open the door for you." I said. She giggled for a second while Liz rubbed my hand.

"Okay Mr. Alastor." The girl said. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Thank you." I replied. She hung up and I hit the end button. "Liz, can I open the door for her? I'll just get it in view and use my mind on it." She blushed and let go of my hand. "I'll be back in a few seconds." I stood up slowly and walked to the end of the bed so I could see the door. The knob turned and the door slid open silently. I walked back to the chair and sat down while she watched me. She looked scared. "I'm still here Liz. I'm still here." I took her left hand in my right and she smiled and gripped it tightly. "I'm always here when you need me. I don't care why you need me, but I'll always be by your side when you call for me." She smiled wider and squeezed my hand a bit harder, but not painfully. "No matter how far away I am, I'll come to you, even if I have to go through fire, just because you're lonely." I rubbed her hand with my thumb and she giggled quietly.  
…

I set my glass on the tray as Liz slowly ate her sandwich. She had eaten her Pokémon food first, so I wouldn't bother her with it later most likely. I still had half of my Oran Juice, a very plain, but very satisfying drink made from Oran berries. I had eaten my sandwiches quickly, as I hadn't eaten much in the past two days. The girl was still a teen, with short black hair and green eyes. She had a pretty face and she was a great cook. Her name was Alice, and she was working off a debt to the hotel. I helped her by paying her a tip more than ten times that of the bill. She had tried to decline but I told her not to worry.

"Devoir?" Liz asked. I looked at her while she swallowed the last bite of her sandwich. I smiled as she looked at me. She was concerned no doubt. I had eaten much faster than usual due to my hunger.

"I'm fine Liz." I assured. "I was just hungry." She nodded while I grabbed my glass and slowly finished it, enjoying the mild taste. It wasn't much, but it wasn't bad. I set the glass on my tray and smiled. "How do you feel?" She blushed and grabbed her glass quickly and tipped it over. I quickly stopped the liquid from falling on her dress and I righted the glass with a quick thought. The liquid went back into the glass and she blushed deeper. "Take it easy Liz." I smiled as she grabbed the glass carefully and drank the rest of her Leppa Juice slowly. When she finished she looked at me with the glass in her hands. "Are you okay? You've been acting different ever since we got back from the Pokémon Center." She blushed and set the glass on the tray. "I'm starting to worry about you. You know you can always talk to me." She looked at me while I put my hands together on my lap. "I may not understand what you say, but I'll do whatever it takes to understand what you mean. If something's wrong, you can come to me with anything." She blushed deeper and looked away. I leaned back and I set my arms beside me. I felt a handle and I looked over at it. "Is this chair a recliner?" I thought about it and decided against testing my theory. I looked to see Liz looking at me with an odd feeling visible in her eyes. She stared at me for a moment before looking away. I looked at the window and saw that it was still early. I levitated the chair back a few inches and stood up. I stretched while she watched. The door was closed and we only had to return the trays if we left or ordered more room service. I walked around the bed while she watched. I walked over to the window and opened it, letting in a gentle spring breeze. I looked into the sky as several Pidgey and Pidgeotto flew by the window. I felt some sadness and I looked back to her. She had several tears forming in her eyes. "What's wrong Liz?" I walked over to her and she turned away. I sat down on the bed and moved over to her and she seemed even sadder. "Come on Liz, what's wrong?" She shook her head and I put my right hand on her left shoulder. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong Liz. I can only guess that you're sad that we aren't outside in the sun, travelling to our next battle." She looked at me. "You always seem happy when we battle, and you're always happy when we travel together. But that's just a guess from me, a uh." I looked at my right arm for a moment. "A 'normal' human of twenty years." I smiled and chuckled. "Far be it from me to figure out what's wrong with a girl, let alone a Gardevoir girl." She blushed and put her right hand on mine. "We're friends Liz, and that means that we have to look out for each other." She nodded and I smiled. My sunglasses and hat sat on the back of the chair, my duster sitting on the side.

"Devoir, Garde, Voir, Gardevoir." She said slowly. She motioned for me to move closer and I obliged. She moved her face quickly to mine and she kissed me. She closed her eyes and quickly put her arms around me, holding my arms to my sides. I closed my eyes and melted into the kiss. I felt an immense amount of joy from her and I couldn't hold back my own. She lessened her grip on me and put her arms around my neck, to which I replied by putting my arms around her in a gentle hug. After a minute she pulled back and I felt a bit of fear from her. I just sat there for a moment and opened my eyes. She stared at me with a worried expression until I smiled. "Devoir?" I smiled wider and pulled her closer, despite the discomfort of her chest spike poking me. She closed her eyes and returned my hug.

"Liz, you're a great friend." I said quietly. I stroked her back gently with my right hand, occasionally running my fingers over her back spike, making her sigh quietly. "I, I think I love you." She gasped as I set my head on her right shoulder. "I think I have for a long time, but I didn't know if you felt the same. I didn't want to ruin our friendship." She kissed my shoulder and I smiled. "I'm sorry you got hurt, and I know it was my fault." I pulled back and she shook her head. "It was Liz. I felt like we should have gotten this Gym taken care of while we're here. If we had just kept going on, to Celadon, you wouldn't have been hurt." She shook her head. "Liz, you love battles." She nodded. "And I love seeing you happy." She blushed. "But I should have waited for this Gym. We should have just kept going." She shook her head and pulled me back in for another hug. "Liz, from now on, I'll do better to protect you. I'll make sure that you never get hurt like this again."  
…

I opened my right eye slowly. Liz was sleeping peacefully beside me, her right arm resting over my chest and her head by mine. I turned my eye to look at her and smiled. She looked so peaceful while she slept. I could almost feel it flowing from her. I closed my eye and inhaled quietly. I focused my mind and tried to concentrate of a new technique, one Sabrina had used. Her Alakazam had the power of Recover; an extremely helpful technique that sped up the healing process to the point of instant repair of any physical damage. I felt Liz stirring and I opened my right eye again and looked at her. She had both of her eyes half open and she was looking at me with a small smile.

"Good morning Liz." I said quietly. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded slightly and winced. "Have you got a little headache?" She nodded again. "I'll get you a little remedy my mother taught me. I always keep some of the ingredients in the pack." She nodded and moved her arm away from me. I slowly got out of the bed and stretched. I walked over to my pack and pulled out some tea leaves and a bottle of water. I set them on the chair and pulled out a small pot and a portable heater. I then grabbed a small press and set it on the table beside her. "Let's see, where did I leave that?" I rummaged around and found the last ingredient, a special herb that I planted around everywhere we travelled. It would fix a headache in a hurry, but it was terribly bitter. The tea leaves were very sweet, almost like candy. They would mask almost all of the herb, but the press would flush out the full flavor. "Okay, now we're getting into the swing of it." I smiled and plugged in the heater and poured the water into the pot. I set the pot on the heater and removed the lid of the press, along with the metal press itself. I grabbed three of the leaves and half of one of the herbs. I tore them up into very small bits and put them in the glass. "Okay, once the water gets hot enough, I'll pour it in here, let it set for a bit, and then I press it." She nodded while I sniffed the glass. The scent was faint, but it was quite sweet. "This is very bitter, but the tea leaves should cancel that out. The herb will fix your headache, and the tea will be quite soothing I hope." She smiled as the pot began bubbling. I grabbed the handle and carefully poured the water into the cup. I smiled and put the press in and returned the lid to it. "Just a minute of this and the water should take in all it needs to cure your headache and the flavor of the leaves." I closed my eyes and inhaled.

"Devoir?" She asked. I looked at her as she looked at the chair beside me. I looked at my duster and saw the burn hole clearly. I looked at it closely and saw that I was lucky that my arm wasn't burned. I smiled and looked back at the cup.

"That should make for a great story." I said calmly. She gave me a strange look. "What? You think I'm worried about a little burn on my jacket?" She blushed. "You dodged a fast shot Psybeam, and I narrowly avoided it myself." I chuckled. "I'm lucky I was quick on my feet, because that wasn't set to stun." She smiled as I pressed the handle, separating the leaves and herb from the water. "There we go. That should have absorbed as much flavor as possible without overdoing it." I pulled out a pair of tea cups and set them on some saucers. They were incredibly delicate, and they were for tea or this remedy only. Liz eyed them while I poured the tea into the cups with practiced ease. She sat up against the backboard of the bed while I sniffed the tea. I grabbed a small bag from the pack and I pulled out two tiny spoons and a small tin of sugar. I set the spoons on the saucers and carefully opened the tin. "There we go. Just like mom used to do." I looked at her and she had her head tilted. I smiled and held a saucer out to her. "You'd like to know about my mother?" She nodded as she took the small plate carefully. I took my own and sat down on the chair. I carefully spooned three loads of sugar into the tea and I stirred it in slowly. "My mom was a great woman. She cared for me more than anyone in the world, except for my father. She had long blue hair, and as you see, that's where I get my own." She nodded and sipped the tea. She winced and I smiled. "That's what the sugar is for love." She blushed and nodded. She put three spoonfuls of sugar into her tea and stirred it like me. "She was tall, like me, and her skin was just as pale as mine." I smiled as I remembered her face. "She had a kind face, and beautiful blue eyes. I always felt calm whenever I'd see her smiling at me. I felt like, well, when she was alive I felt like nothing could ever go bad." She sipped the tea and smiled. "She'd make this very remedy for me, but she never used the tea leaves. That's something I found on my own." I sipped my own tea and smiled. "She always had a smile, even near the end." I looked at Liz as I remembered the day my mother died. "I was nine at the time she died. She went in a car accident with my dad. A wild Tauros ran out into the road and they hit it head on." I sipped the tea silently and set the cup on the saucer with a quiet clink. "I heard about it from one of the executives at a company in Hoenn, and it wasn't good. Dad died on impact and mom on the way to the hospital." I felt sorrow and I shook my head. "Needless to say I don't like cars anymore, and I had a problem with Tauros for a long time. I cried for two days and I didn't go to school." I looked at her and she had tears forming. "Two months of thinking alone, I managed to pull myself together. I gathered up the courage to try my hand at being a trainer." I smiled and pulled out the Masterball. "My mother gave me this for my ninth birthday. My mom had a Gardevoir from when she was young, but I never met her." I looked at the bloody X on the top of the ball. "Mary, mom's Gardevoir, died protecting her when she was about my age." Liz looked at the ball. "A picture my mom had was the only thing I saw of Mary, and, well." I looked at her. "She looked a lot like you do now." She looked at me while I set the ball back in the chest pocket of my shirt. "The difference between you and Mary is your eyes." I smiled and sipped my tea again, savoring the sweet and bitter flavors. "She was different than most blue Gardevoir. Her eyes were red, like any other green Gardevoir." I looked at Liz as she looked at her spoon. "But, that picture is what got me going. I wanted to be like my mom. Mary was her first Pokémon, a Ralts." She looked at me. "I became obsessed with finding a Ralts to train, just like my mom. I wanted her to be proud of me for following in her footsteps." She smiled. "After the accident, I became adamant that I was not going to be a trainer until I caught a Ralts." She smiled wider. "Ten long years passed, and then fate led you to my tent." I smiled and drank the rest of my tea and set the saucer on the table beside me. "In all, it was my mother that started this whole thing."

"Devoir." Liz said happily. She finished her tea slowly and set the cup on the saucer and handed it to me. I put it beside my own cup and smiled. I looked at her and she seemed to be doing better. I smiled and stood up. I thought for a moment and I suddenly stood on the opposite side of the bed. Liz looked around while I looked at the bed. "Devoir? Gar, Voir, Gardevoir?" I smiled and sat on the bed beside her.


	9. reporters and lust

Here we are folks. If you've read the reviews, you'll know from my co-author DragonLord Seth that this is where this little fic turns M. You'll see near the end, and I hope I got it just right.

Okay, this is the last chapter for a while. I'm not saying that this is the final chapter, but I'm having trouble getting the tenth chapter just right. I'll probably have that up by this or next Saturday. And I'm very sorry that I'm late on this one. I've recently acquired something that's brought my attention away from my computer. So, sorry about that, I'll try to be more attentive in the future.

In the time after I've put this on break, I'll be posting another fic or two. For that, I want to hold a vote. Tell me in the reviews if you want a Fallout 3, rated M, a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, rated T, or a Left 4 Dead, rating undecided. Whichever gets the most votes, you can PM or email me if you want, is the one that I will be posting. If you want a preview of one, please let me know and I'll send you a quick snip of one of the later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon in any form. Also, if you are under eighteen you should not be reading this. If you are under the age of eighteen, please leave now, or don't get caught by your parents.  
…

A week went by quickly and Liz was able to walk around normally. She had also gotten much closer to me, in all aspects of the word. She clung to my arms constantly and she only left my side when I went to check on the others. She was still weak to the point that she could only remain on her feet for a short while at a time. I sat on the chair by the bed with my hat over my face. The sun shined softly on me and it was a warm glow as well. Liz was sleeping on the bed, but I was just resting in the sun, letting it warm my body. I was engaged in thinking about Recover. I figured that I could learn it if I had enough time. I moved my hat from my eyes and I saw her sleeping peacefully. I smiled and looked down at my watch. I still had about an hour before I would check on the others. I looked back at Liz and I lowered my hat with another smile.

'What did I ever do without you Liz?' I thought. I clasped my hands over my chest and levitated the chair so that Liz was to my left. I reclined the chair quietly and I smiled. I hadn't been so comfortable in a long time, and I was reluctant to leave the comfort of the recliner. 'I'll have to remember to get a few of these for my home one of these days.' I thought for a moment. 'Maybe a few massage recliners.' I smiled wider. 'I'm sure Liz would enjoy it. Mawile might even take a liking, and there's no way Sting won't appreciate a custom massage bed.' I thought of Garth. 'And a massage tube for Garth. Nothing but the best for my friends.' I suddenly felt a shift in weight on the chair. I tilted my hat up and saw Liz on her side to my right. She had snuck up on me. "Hello love." She smiled and rubbed her head into my chest while I moved my right arm around her. "How are you feeling? Are you cozy here?" She nodded and I smiled. I kissed the top of her head and she snuggled as close to me as she could. I could feel her love, and I knew she could feel mine. "I do have to get up in an hour Liz." She looked up at me. "Do you feel up to a little walk over to the Pokémon Center?" She smiled and nodded. "Okay, but I don't want you pushing yourself too hard." She nodded again. I smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm so happy you're feeling better Liz. I don't know what I'd do without you." She smiled and kissed my chin.  
…

We walked along the sidewalk to the Center. She still had to lean on me to conserve her energy, but it didn't bother either of us. Several people, however, seemed confused at how content she looked. She was leaning happily on my left shoulder with my left arm under hers.

"Excuse me." A female voice called. "Mr. Alastor, please wait." I turned my head to see a woman with a microphone and a man with a camera walking through a crowd to get to us.

"Oh no, the media." I said quietly. I looked around and couldn't see any hiding places that Liz and I could fit in together. "We're in for some chop Liz, so keep on your toes." She nodded and picked up her pace.

"Mr. Alastor, I have some questions." The woman called again.

"Where's a jackknifed soda truck when you need it?" I asked quietly. "Why can't some guy be doing something amazing right now? Why is she following us?" I felt a hand on my right shoulder that wasn't Liz. I sighed as she ran ahead of us, as did her cameraman.

"Mr. Alastor, I'm Jillian Sanders from Channel Seven news." She announced. She pointed her left arm to the cameraman. "And this is Maxwell 'Deadeye' Johnson, my ace cameraman." He nodded without moving the camera. "You recently defeated Sabrina and her strongest Pokémon; her Alakazam." I nodded slowly as Liz clung tighter. "Is this Pokémon the one who went toe to toe with one of this region's most powerful psychic types?" She held the microphone out to me.

"Yes." I replied. She sighed and Max lowered the camera.

"Come on, put some effort into it." She said quickly. "You're not answering whether or not this Pokémon is yours, you're answering that she's one of the only Pokémon that ever beat that powerhouse masquerading as a Pokémon." I sighed and looked at Max.

"I'm just trying to get to the Pokémon Center." I said wearily. "Liz can't be out for long, and I'd prefer to listen to Nurse Joy's orders of keeping her in bed." Max turned the camera to me again.

"So Liz is indeed the Pokémon that beat Alakazam?" Jillian asked. I sighed again.

"Yes, Liz managed a feat thought impossible in this region." I replied. "After a few narrow misses and a few scrapes, she managed to K.O. the yellow armored psychic type with an overpowered Dark Pulse attack." Liz nodded. "I myself was hit by one of his Psybeam attacks, and it burned my dusters left sleeve, and I just barely stepped out of the way."

"So Sabrina's fighting style is incredibly brutal?" She asked. "She shows little regard for the safety of her challengers?" She held the microphone to me and I sighed again.

"She showed very little kindness at first, but after we managed a narrow victory, she showed respect." I said in an annoyed tone. "She teleported us to the Pokémon Center where Liz was diagnosed with mental and physical exhaustion." I pulled a small card from my right duster pocket and held it out to her. "And for any future stories, you're going to go through my press agent." She took the card and looked at me. "Now, I need to get to the Pokémon Center while Liz still has the energy to get there and back to the hotel." Liz nodded and hid her face in my shoulder. "So, if you don't mind, you're making her nervous."

"How do you know she's nervous?" Jillian asked, pointing the microphone at me.

"Liz is a Gardevoir; a powerful psychic type that can feel the emotions of her trainer." I explained, stepping forward, making them step back equally. "She also sends me her emotions through a telepathic bond, formed of mutual trust between us. Now kindly turn off the camera and leave us in peace, or I shall be forced to press charges." They stepped aside and Max turned off the camera. We walked past them and Liz seemed to feel less nervous. We walked up to the doors of the Center and they opened quietly.  
…

"Mr. Alastor, I was expecting you a little sooner." Joy said quietly. I rubbed the back of my head.

"We were ambushed by a reporter and her 'Ace' cameraman." I explained. She nodded and looked at Liz.

"So Liz is feeling better?" She asked. Liz nodded. "That's good. Just a few more days and it should be safe to test your psychic powers again."

"Nurse Joy, I'd like to ask some questions." Jillian's voice called from behind me. I shivered and tightened up like I had just been hit in the back. I slowly turned my head and saw her and Max behind me.

"Nurse Joy, I think I'd like to check on the others." I said slowly, turning my gaze back to her. She nodded and gestured to the room behind her. We walked past her as she walked over to the reporter. The door opened silently and we saw the others. The room was for the aquatic Pokémon and Garth was swimming slowly while Sting buzzed above him. Mawile was sitting on the underwater staircase, her head just above the surface. "Hey guys, look who came to visit." They all looked over and smiled. "Just a few more days and she'll be completely recovered." We walked over to the water and Liz let go of me to sit by the edge. I sat down beside her as Mawile walked out of the water. Sting landed on Garth's head as he swam over casually. He lowered his head while Mawile sat next to me. I set my right hand on her head and she smiled. Garth set his head by Liz and Sting buzzed to her side. "How have you all been?" Garth growled quietly while Liz rubbed the area between his eyes while Sting buzzed quietly, sitting down beside her. Mawile just smiled wider. "There's a chance we'll all be on the news soon. A lady named Jillian is outside asking questions about you all, mostly about Liz and how she beat Alakazam." There was a quiet murmur among them. "But hey, no worries. They'll leave us alone by the time we start our way to Celadon." They all nodded. "So you're all okay?"  
…

I sat on the edge of the bed. Liz was asleep and the others were waiting at the Center. Liz had gone through a quick checkup and we'd be leaving in the morning. Jillian and her cameraman had aired us on the evening news. I had turned on the TV to see if anything interesting was on. It had been almost five whole years since I had watched the news and that was the first thing I saw when I had turned on the television. They had edited out Liz's name and they made notes that I seemed a little strange holding her on my arm. They had completely cut out anything pertaining to her besides my words on her victory. It made me look like I didn't care about her. I looked over my shoulder at her and smiled. She was recovering faster than I could ever have hoped, and I knew that I wouldn't let her get hurt ever again, though I felt bad not telling her about the legend. I looked at my right arm and wondered if it truly was done spreading.

"Devoir, Garde?" Liz called quietly. I looked over my right shoulder and I saw her staring at me with a worried expression. I smiled and stood up. I walked back to my side and sat down, moving beside her.

"How do you feel?" I asked. She smiled for a moment but then she looked at my arm. "I'm fine Liz. I'm just thinking about my arm." I held it up and looked at the small bump on the elbow. "I had two human arms for twenty years, and I've had this one for as long as we've known each other." I smiled. "I guess I'm just amazed that my body isn't trying to reject it." She nodded with a small smile as I lowered my arm. "So you're feeling better?" She nodded again. "I'm glad to hear it Liz. I'd hate to think that you wouldn't be able to keep travelling with me." She lifted her head from the pillow. "If you and I couldn't travel, I'd just quit right here. I'd fly us to my house and I'd have no reason to keep training." I felt her concern. "If you can't have fun battling, then I couldn't very well keep you travelling with us. Watching the others, feeling left out. It'd break my heart like a piece of glass." She sat up as I looked at my arm. "It'd feel wrong, having the others fighting while you'd have to watch from the sidelines." I shook my head. "Not that I could ever join in."

"Devoir, Garde, Voir, Gardevoir." She said. She placed her left hand gently on my right. I felt a pang of guilt from both of us.

"Liz, I'm just worried for your safety." I said quietly. "I love you, and I don't want you to get hurt." I turned my hand over and gently closed my fingers around her hand. "If you get hurt again, it'd hurt worse now that we're together like this." She blushed and closed her own fingers on my hand. "I feel so lucky that I met you Liz." She nodded and I moved closer to her. She let go of my hand and hugged me before I could say more. I moved my arms around her and closed my eyes. I felt like nothing else mattered with her in my arms. As long as we were together, there was nothing that could ever hold us back. "I love you Liz."

"Devoir." She replied. The spike in her chest was digging uncomfortably into my chest, but I didn't care. She pulled back slowly and looked at her spike with a blush.

"It's okay Liz." I said with a smile. She blushed and hugged me again, being careful with the spike. I began moving my arms when she pulled me to the bed quickly. She closed her eyes and moved her head to my chest. "Okay, I'll go to sleep. You could have just asked though." She giggled as I kissed her forehead softly.  
…

I roused from my sleep slowly and opened my right eye. Liz wasn't next to me, and I heard the shower running. I slowly got out of bed, being careful of my emotions. I silently opened the door and stepped in. I removed my clothes quietly and saw her dress hanging on the door. I set my clothes on the peg beside her dress and I slowly opened the shower door and looked at her body. She had her eyes closed and she was humming softly. I grabbed the soap and quietly lathered my hands before setting the bar back carefully in the shelf. Luckily for me, she chose to grab it seconds after I moved my hand away without looking back. I smiled and moved my hands to her shoulders, making her gasp.

"Good morning Liz." I said normally. She looked back at me as I lathered her shoulders. "What goes around comes around you know." She smiled and looked down. She had dropped the soap and it slowly slid to the space between my feet. "How do you feel? Are we good to get back to our journey? Or do we need to stay here another day to be sure?" She giggled as I moved to her back, carefully working around the spike. Her skin was completely white, including her arms. The blue on her arms came from the gloves that were part of the dress. She looked at me and smiled. "It's your choice what we do from here Liz. We'll have to head out soon, but I think we could afford another day or so." She sighed as I began rubbing the soap into the small of her back. "After all, I like seeing you smiling at me. It makes me feel like the luckiest guy around." The soap floated up to her hands and she lathered them slowly, never taking her gaze off of me. "Is there something you'd like Liz?" She winked at me and turned her gaze forward. I was paying careful attention to the water temperature so that she wouldn't be able to get me with a surprise cold water stream again. She set the soap on the shelf and slowly rubbed her hands over her chest, looking back at me occasionally. I smiled as she moved her hands down her body painfully slow. "Feeling playful are we?" I moved my hands down to her bottom and playfully ran my hands over the soft skin, making her gasp softly. "Humans may have a problem with our love." She looked back at me. "But then again, I don't think I'm really human anymore." I moved my hands around her waist and stepped up behind her, setting my head on her left shoulder. "I may well be part Gallade." She smiled as I kissed her neck tenderly.

"Devoir." She said weakly. I felt my heart beating faster as I rubbed some of the soap on her stomach slowly. I kissed her neck again as she put her hands on mine. She moved my hands around for a moment before moving them lower, directly between her legs. I smiled and began running my right index finger along the length of her slit. The water was cold, but her skin was very warm. "Gardevoir."

"Are you sure about this Liz?" I asked quietly. She nodded and I kissed her neck again. "We'll have to be quiet. If anyone hears, they could make things difficult for us." She nodded as the water stopped. I kissed her left cheek and she giggled quietly. I ran my hands over her wet skin until I reached her chest. Her back spike had been digging into my chest, but it didn't hurt. I rubbed her breasts softly and she moaned quietly. She moved her left hand to the back of my head and I kissed her cheek again. "Liz, I should tell you something. You're parents have kept something from you." She looked at me without turning her head and I closed my eyes. "There is a legend around us. One that will bring humans and Pokémon closer together, and it happens because of our falling in love." She nodded slowly. "This transformation is figured in somehow, but I don't know how exactly." She nodded again as I massaged her breasts. "I knew that we'd be like this since Vermillion. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I was worried that it might push us apart." I felt her turn her head and I opened my eyes. She placed her left hand on my cheek and she kissed me deeply. She closed her eyes and pushed her tongue into my mouth. I smiled as our tongues danced. She suddenly pulled away as the shower door opened. I looked and saw that it was her power. "Shall we retire to the bed love?" She giggled as I moved my arms away from her. I stepped aside as she walked past me. I looked at her body again and smiled wider. 'I've always loved Gardevoir as a species, and now I have fallen in love the most beautiful one.' I stepped out and immediately slid on the floor, catching a rail on the shower door. She turned and I chuckled nervously. "Next time I'll set a towel down." She giggled as I righted myself.

"Devoir, Garde, Gar, Voir." She said with a smile. I smiled and wished that I knew what she was saying. I walked over to her as the door opened. I leaned in and kissed her quickly before teleporting to the bed. I had left the water from my body in the bathroom and I smiled as she turned around. She smiled and walked slowly toward me as I sat on the edge. I looked her over and she blushed.

"Liz, I said it before, and I think I have to say it again." I said quietly. She stopped a few feet from me as I brought my right hand up to my mouth, thumb and ring fingers placed at the edges. I let out a Mightyena whistle and she giggled. She stepped up to me and smiled. She leaned forward and put her arms around my shoulders, bringing me into another loving kiss. She gently pushed me onto my back as I wrapped my arms around her. She closed her eyes as I rubbed her back, being careful of the spike. The one on her chest was pushing into me, but not painfully. 'Legend or not, this could very well have happened anyway. I just couldn't help but fall in love with you Liz.' I moved us so that we would have more room. She moved back and gave me a dreamy look. I felt her love in the air and I couldn't stop my smile. I moved my fingers along the spike and she groaned quietly. The spike was very sensitive. It was mainly for amplifying the emotional senses that the Ralts family felt, as well as their psychic powers. Very few people knew that it was also used during mating to give pleasure to the females. "You're completely sure about this?" She nodded as I moved my fingers along the gold spike. I rolled over and she giggled at my face. I hadn't moved my hand in time and it was now under the spike. I carefully moved my fingers out from under her and I fanned the air quickly. "That could have been just a bit more romantic." She giggled briefly and leaned up to kiss me again. She moaned as I brought my hand up to her chest spike. I carefully ran my fingers along the edge and she moaned into my mouth. I broke the kiss and she looked up at me. "It's going to hurt a bit at first." She nodded as my shaft hardened. She grabbed my right hand in hers and gripped it tightly. She moved her left hand to mine and did the same, moving it to her side.

She nodded and I kissed her again, pushing my hips forward and entering her quickly. She groaned painfully into my mouth and squeezed my hands even tighter. Her walls clamped tightly around me and I could feel her pain in my mind. After a few minutes she moved her head back and her grip loosened on my hands. She panted quietly while I remained still above her. She looked at me and smiled. I blushed and moved further into her. She moaned quietly and I kissed her again. I didn't want any neighbors interrupting us for a moan just a bit too loud. I broke the kiss as I pulled out.

"Devooooiiir." She moaned quietly. She closed her eyes and moved her arms around my back. I kissed her forehead as I pushed back in. She bit her lip and groaned as I moved out. She pulled me closer, her spike once again in my chest as I moved in and out at a slowly building pace. I kissed her and she moaned into my mouth, her hips moving with mine. She ran her hands over my back, dragging her nails lovingly. After a few minutes I moved my hands to her chest and began massaging her breasts, rubbing the spike gently with my thumbs. She moaned loudly into my mouth while I groaned quietly. I broke the kiss and she wrapped her legs around my waist. Her walls were incredibly tight, and they were gripping me more and more. "Garde, Voir, Devooooiiir." I kissed her again and she pulled me in deeper with her legs and her walls gripped me like a vice, sending me over the edge. I broke the kiss and she groaned as I tried to hold out.

"Liz, I don't think I can take much more of this." I moaned. She looked at me with glazed eyes and she moved her hips, and that was all it took. I groaned quietly and sprayed my seed into her and kissed her, just in time for her to moan louder than before. Her walls contracted wildly and her hips bucked rapidly. After a few seconds I lowered my body to her left, panting with her. She kissed my right cheek and I smiled. "I could get used to this." She giggled as I turned my head to her. I kissed her neck and she smiled. "I think we should stay one more night." She giggled again as I kissed her cheek. "Just to be totally sure that you're able to travel." She moved her legs back down and rolled me onto my back. She kissed me and ran her hands over my chest. When she broke the kiss I moved my hands onto her back, rubbing her back spike with my thumbs. She smiled and began wiggling her hips, making me harden slightly. "Liz, you never cease to amaze me." I hugged her tightly and rolled over again, making her giggle.  
…

I opened my eyes slowly. The events of the previous day were still fresh in my mind. We had made love four times. Twice in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once just before we went to sleep, she just didn't want to stop. I felt her right hand on my chest and I smiled. I turned my head and saw her smiling with half closed eyes.

"Hello there love." I said quietly. She smiled slightly wider and leaned in and kissed me quickly. I spotted the clock and noticed that there was very little light in the room. It was still an hour until the sun was to rise. "How do you feel?" I felt a bit of joy from her and something else. Something I was familiar with from the day before. "Feeling a bit frisky eh?" She nodded and moved her right hand down to my groin while I moved my right hand under her and to her back spike. She gripped my shaft as I rubbed the sides of the spike. She moaned quietly and I smiled. "You're a quick learner."

"Devoir." She replied. She kissed me again as I caressed her spike. I moved my left hand to her right shoulder and I rubbed her arm softly. She broke the kiss and rolled onto her back and released her grip on me. I moved over her and kissed her chest spike, making her giggle. "Voir, Devoir, Garde." I smiled and moved up and kissed her with a quiet moan as I entered her slowly.


	10. Recovery and Rivalry

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Pokémon. If I did, it'd still have a serious air about it instead of being kid friendly. If you are under the age of eighteen, leave now by the way.

And I'd like to take the time to once more thank DragonLord Seth. He's been incredibly helpful in getting these chapters ready. He's given me ideas for a few sequels, and our characters might just cameo in each other's fics soon.

And from here on out, there's going to be mature content on a fairly regular basis. At least one Lemon scene every chapter or so is my plan. It was also my original plan, so that's not likely to change without someone raising a big fuss. And even then, there will be lemons, but they'd be slightly less graphic.

I'd also like to take a moment to ask the opinion of my faithful readers. I've got some other fics written, several chapters each. I have a Fallout 3 fic, and the plot mostly follows the game and violence and swearing is plentiful. I have a Pokémon Mystery Dungeon fic, and it's mostly plot and character development, but it's got plenty of fight scenes. It may start out kind of odd, but it's not too bad if you ask me. I know, I know, writers bias you'll say. No, I read it as a reader and I think I did a fairly decent job writing it. A few mistakes, but I fix them right up and it goes together kind of nicely. Lastly, I have a short, five chapter Left 4 Dead fic. As far as it goes, I may just revisit and destroy it later. It meets my criteria for length, but the plot is kind of thin. It's not bad, and I can read it again and again, but I'm not totally moved by it. I could do better, but it's roughly in my usual range. If you want to vote, PM me, or just tell me in a review, your choice. If you want, I can copy and paste a piece of each and send them to you in a PM or some way, I'm not bothered at all to do so.

Lastly for this part, please review. I'd stopped asking, because I'd just given up. But, I'm getting regular readers and a fair few favorites recently. I'm glad you like my fic, and to think I was just a coin toss from not posting this. I never thought this fic would take off so well. But I know you don't want this fic to ever go below my normal efforts, so I make sure each chapter makes nine pages in Word or twenty five hundred, that's 2500, words per chapter. If I can't make a chapter meet this quota, I won't post it. And I've decided that if the reviews ever stop flowing and the reader count trickles low enough, that's it. I'll stop, not dead, but two chapters after the fall and that's all this Demon will write of this. I'll wait for it to pick back up, but if it fails to do so it will lie dormant for a long time while another fic rises to take its place.  
…

I looked out the window toward Celadon City. It wasn't too long of a walk, but it would take at least a day and a half, assuming that everything went our way. I looked down at my green arm and smiled. The first time I had seen it I was kind of worried that something bad was happening. After the events of the past few days though, the arm was proving useful. It still felt different from the one I had grown up with, but it no longer felt foreign, especially since Liz and I finally told each other how we felt. I stepped away from the window as the blinds closed. I turned to see Liz still sleeping peacefully. I sat on the bed lightly and I moved up to her. She rolled over and draped her left arm over me.

'I love you Liz.' I thought. As if she had read my mind she moved closer to me, pulling me into a hug. I smiled and kissed her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at me for a moment before smiling. "Hey love." She smiled wider and placed her head against my chest. She was warm, and her skin was very soft. "How do you feel?" She nodded and I moved my right arm under and around her, gently hugging her. "We should really get back to our journey today." She nodded into my chest and I felt her happiness in my heart. "Do you feel up to it?" She nodded again and I pulled her slightly closer.

"Garde." She said quietly. She nuzzled her head into my chest and I smiled. She had been more energetic the day before, so I figured she'd be up to walking to the next town. Her psychic power was back at full power, so she could even battle if she wanted. I looked down at her as she looked up at me. She had a light blush but she was smiling. "Devoir?" I smiled and kissed her forehead again, making her giggle. She reached her hand down to my stomach and began tracing small circles. She blushed deeper as I rubbed her back.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded and moved her hand down lower. She ran a finger along the length of my slowly hardening shaft. We'd fooled around the night before and we were still naked. I kissed her forehead and moved my right hand around to her right shoulder, making her sigh happily. "And to think we haven't even known each other for a month." She giggled as she gently rubbed her fingers along my member. "I hope nobody will bother us for a bit." She closed her eyes and smiled while I pulled her on top of me. "Well, shall we?" She blushed as I kissed her neck tenderly. She moved her hands to my chest as I placed my right hand on her left hip. I slowly moved my left hand around her back as she moved to kiss me. We locked lips and she quickly moved her tongue into my mouth and smiled. 'Well, I guess this is it. I'm going to love you forever, and there isn't a thing I can do about it. Not that I'd want to.' I moved my right hand over her smooth bottom and she giggled and began rubbing my chest faster. I moved my left hand to her spike and began gently running my fingers along the edge. She moaned quietly as our tongues danced. She moved her left arm beneath her and gently gripped my fully hard member. She positioned it at her moist entrance and slowly allowed me in. She moved her face from mine and moaned quietly. I moved my right hand under her and trailed my index finger along her stomach, making her smile. "You're so beautiful, and your skin is so soft." She looked down at me while I gently moved my finger around her right breast, toying with her nipple. I smiled as she blushed, slowly moving her hips. "How did I get so lucky?" She giggled and moved back down while I quickly moved my right hand around her back to massage her spike from both sides. "You came to me during a rainstorm, and I knew we were meant to be together." She smiled and moaned softly. "If someone were to have told me that we'd be doing this back then though, I'd have just laughed and called them crazy." She lowered her chest to mine, being careful of the spike. "But now, I'm crazy." She looked at me and I gave her a quick peck on her soft lips and a warm smile. "I'm crazy for your love." She smiled as I began moving my hips with hers. She moaned quietly and I kissed her again. Ten years ago I never would have thought of a Gardevoir like this before, but the moment I first saw her in that cloud of dirt and smoke I knew I loved her. She broke the kiss and moved her body down slightly, pulling me deeper into her. She moved her hips faster so I responded in kind, making her groan through her teeth. I moved my hands along her back spike and she slightly arched her body into mine, making me smile wider. She closed her eyes as I pushed into her as deep as I could, making her groan quietly. "You feel so good around me." She moved her head to my neck and she moaned happily.

"Gardevoir, Devoir, Gardevoir." She said quickly. She moved back and looked into my eyes. I felt her lust in the air as I pushed into her faster and harder.

She kissed me and her hips started bucking against mine. She moaned loudly into my mouth as her movements became more and more frenzied. She closed her eyes and grabbed my shoulders, moving her hips harder against mine, never breaking the kiss. Her walls were gripping me harder and harder as her moans became more frequent. She was breathing erratically through her nose as I closed my eyes, focusing all of my effort to keep from climaxing before she did.

'Man, she's so tight.' I thought in a groaning voice. Her walls were almost like a vice, and I wasn't sure how much more I could take. After a few moments her walls clamped me even tighter and she moaned louder than before, which was all it took to finish me. I came deep within her, making her walls spasm around me. She cried out into my mouth and I felt her love stronger than before. After a few moments she collapsed on top of me, breaking the kiss to pant while I pulled her into a loving hug. "Wow. I, I, just. Wow." She giggled while I struggled to think of something to say to her. I gave up after a few seconds and leaned my head back. She kissed my neck twice and rested her head on my chest with a content sigh. "I love you Liz." She giggled and I kissed the top of head.  
…

I walked down the path from the Pokémon Center with Liz to my right, loosely holding my arm in both of hers. I had sent Garth to Professor Oak, as much as it pained me. There were very few places in the Kanto Region where he would be of any use. Rivers and small ponds were no place for such a large sea serpent like Garth. And to top that off, there were no more Gyms with water, so he wouldn't be able to battle to earn any badges. I hated thinking of him like that, but I promised I'd use him in the Pokémon League in every water battle I could. I looked at Liz as she looked ahead. She had a content smile on her face as people cleared a path for us, giving us odd looks. More than once I heard whispering, but I simply acted as if I couldn't hear them.  
…

We walked along the dirt path, just looking around at the beauty of the trees around us. Liz still held my left arm lovingly, but she no longer levitated. She walked next to me with her head on my shoulder. She sighed quietly and I looked at her. She had her eyes on me and she had a small smile. I smiled at her and she sighed again, leaning in slightly closer. I looked ahead and saw a trainer walking toward us. A female trainer, and I could tell she would want to battle by the way she stopped and smiled.

"Well Liz, I think we found you a sparring partner." I said quietly. "What do you say love?" I looked at her as she let go of my arm. She held her arms out to her sides and stretched. I smiled as she gave a slightly anxious grin. The girl stopped a few yards from us and she pulled a red Pokéball from her belt. "I take it you're ready?" She nodded. Liz stepped forward and rotated her shoulders casually. I smiled at the thought that she could battle again. She loved it, but I knew she just wanted to have fun and would hold back to keep from really hurting other Pokémon. "Okay then, we're ready to go."

"Umbreon, let's go!" The girl called. I felt a bit of wonder at how she had gotten the Umbreon. Eevee were scarce everywhere, so her having caught and evolved one to an Umbreon was interesting to say the least. Liz just shrugged and I could feel her confidence. "Let's lead off with a Shadow Ball!" She pointed her right index finger at Liz and the Umbreon quickly formed the dark sphere.

"Liz, teleport and use Ice Punch." I said quickly. Liz dodged the ball a split second before it hit her, letting it crash into the ground where she had been. She teleported directly in front of the Umbreon but the girl didn't seem worried.

"Dark Pulse!" She called. My eyes went wide as Liz was thrown back by a wave of black energy. "Bite!" My eyes went even wider as Umbreon ran over to bite Liz on her left leg.

"Liz, Teleport now!" I called. Liz vanished and reappeared in front of me as the dark hound bit down where her thigh had been not a second before. I looked at the girl as she held up a badge case. She opened it and I saw seven Badges. "Wow, you're really not holding back here are you?" She shook her head and put the case back. "Oh well, that just means we don't have to hold back as much." She laughed and pointed at Liz again.

"Let's hit them with another Shadow Ball." She said calmly. I looked at Liz and saw her looking back at me over her left shoulder, and I saw a strange shimmer in her left eye. I then remembered a powerful attack Gardevoir learned. I saw the ball forming and I nodded.

"Okay Liz." I whispered. "Teleport five feet to the right." She nodded. The world seemed to have slowed down slightly. "Go in with a Fire Punch, then Teleport back here when she calls out for the Dark Pulse." She nodded slightly, just so I could tell. "Then Teleport right back up in its face and use Magical Leaf." She smiled and nodded, looking back at her opponent. "Let's go!" She teleported as the sphere reached her feet. Through the dust I saw her silhouette rushing toward the Umbreon.

"They don't learn do they Umbreon?" The girl called. "Dark Pulse!" I felt the dark energy and Liz appeared in front of me, facing me. The dust was still thick in the air and she quickly kissed me. I smiled and winked at her as the dust cleared. "How did she get so fast?" I nodded and she Teleported back to the Umbreon. She unleashed the burst of glowing leaves that homed in and popped against the Umbreon, forcing it back.

"Finish with another Magical Leaf Liz." I called. Liz Teleported back to me and held her arms out, the leaves forming in front of her as the Umbreon stood up weakly.

"Wait." The girl called. "We surrender." Liz lowered her hands and the leaves vanished. "That's a strong Gardevoir. She took Umbreon's strongest Dark Pulse and managed to keep going." I smiled as Liz stepped back to me. I placed my right arm around her shoulders and I felt her happiness as if it were my own, as well as a bit of love. "You beat Sabrina right?" We nodded. "With her?" We nodded again. "I thought so. You were on the news a few days ago." I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand.

"Well, we got ambushed by the paparazzi." I said casually. "And they edited it pretty badly. I care a lot more for Liz and the others than they made it seem." She smiled and picked up the Umbreon, petting its head with her left hand. "She really did take on Sabrina's Alakazam though. Head to head, Liz managed to pull off a clear win." The girl nodded. I pulled Liz in and she smiled. "Without Liz here, I'd still be in Hoenn."

"Well, I hope I see you in the League." She said. "I aim to make a comeback. I just need to beat Sabrina and I'll have my eighth badge." I smiled as she walked toward us. "Good luck against Erika in Celadon." I nodded with a calm smile. "I'm Victoria by the way. See you around Mr. Alastor." I smiled wider and nodded, tipping my hat brim with my left hand.

"Good luck against Sabrina." I replied. Liz nodded as we began walking our way.  
…

I finished setting up the tent while Liz tended to the fire. It would take a little while into the next day to get to Celadon.

We would challenge the Gym the next day, and hopefully we would win. I wanted Sting to make the challenge first, since he had the type advantage and Signal Beam, along with Poison Sting. He'd have an advantage over the Grass types, but if one was part Poison, he'd have a tough go of it. I wanted to do a one on one so we could spend more time together.

"Devoir." Liz called softly. I stuck my head out of the tent and saw her with her hands together. She sat on a stump by the fire and had a smile. I pulled out Sting and Mawile's Pokéball and opened them. They appeared in their red beams as Liz set their plates on another stump with her powers. I walked over and grabbed my backpack. I pulled out a couple of sandwiches and handed Liz one. I pulled out her Pokémon formula and poured it onto a plate. She giggled as she set it on her lap. I unwrapped my sandwich and sat down next to her stump. "Gardevoir?" I looked up at her and smiled.

"I can't pull a stump over here." I said. She smiled as I took a bite of my sandwich. She took a bite of her sandwich while I pulled a couple of bottles of water from my pack. The sun was starting to set and we just watched it as we ate. Sting and Mawile just ate their food and chatted for a bit. After a little while, Sting and Mawile yawned and returned to their Pokéball. Liz however moved down from her stump and sat to the right of me. I finished my sandwich as she leaned against my side, sighing happily. I brushed my hand off against my jacket and moved my arm around her, pulling her slightly closer. I felt a small amount of happiness coming from her, and it made me smile. "You know Liz, I never would have imagined anything like this would ever happen." I looked at her and saw her staring at me. "Never in all my life would have dared to think about falling in love with any Pokémon. But when I saw you in that cloud of smoke, that was it." She smiled. "I saw your face, your dress, and your eyes." She giggled as I kissed her forehead. "Everything I've ever heard about it being wrong to do anything we've done together, well." She blushed. "I just don't care. If I ever lost you, I'd never be the same." She nodded and I kissed her forehead again. "I love you too much to ever dare think of another." She smiled and kissed my chin. "I promise that I'll never leave you Liz." She smiled wider and moved to kiss me, which I gladly allowed. After a few moments she broke the kiss. She looked back to the sunset and I followed suit. It was a beautiful range of orange, purple, blue, and red, and I couldn't help but feel the happiness flowing from her.

"Devoir?" Liz asked suddenly. I looked at her and saw a mischievous look in her eyes. She nodded to the tent and I smiled.

"Now?" I asked. She kissed my chin and teleported to the tent. I lowered my right arm as she walked in, giving me a quick look over her right shoulder. I smiled and stood up slowly. I walked over to the tent after looking around for any other trainers. I'd have to keep a careful eye out. It was completely illegal to have sex with any Pokémon, regardless of whether or not you were their trainer. I'd have to use my psychic empathy to feel for any emotions that weren't from Liz or me, or Sting and Mawile. I walked over to the tent and looked in to see Liz sitting in the sleeping bag I had set up. Her dress sat a few feet away from her. "Liz, you're really something else." She giggled as I stepped in. I zipped up the tent flap and turned to see her staring at me with half closed eyes. She had a small pout and I knew she wanted me to show her how much I loved her again. I smiled and removed my sunglasses slowly, my eyes closed. "Liz, most human women say that sex is the only thing that men think of." I opened my eyes and saw her fighting a smile. "I guess they never thought a girl like you would come along." She giggled as I put the sunglasses in my right pocket. I removed my hat and set it on a small chair I had set up. She smiled as I removed my jacket and set it over the chair. "But then, I never thought I'd meet a sweet little lady like you either." She smiled wider as I removed my shirt slowly. "And you're a lot more than I ever could have imagined." I set the shirt on the chair and walked over to her. The side zip of the sleeping bag went down with a mental command and she opened it, revealing her beautiful body. "You're smart." I sat down beside her and removed my boots and socks while she kissed my left cheek. I set them down and turned to her, kissing her lightly on her lips. "You're beautiful." She smiled and set her right hand on the zipper, lowering it slowly as she used her psychic power to undo the button. "You're nice." I raised my hips and the jeans seemed to remove themselves and float over to the chair. I had foregone my boxers, since I knew she would be like this. She really seemed to enjoy making love, so I figured I'd just make it a bit easier for her. "And most importantly, you're mine."

"Devoir, Gar, voir, Devoir, Gardevoir." She said calmly. I smiled and she giggled.

"I only wish I could understand what you're saying." I said with a small chuckle. I moved over her and the sleeping bag moved over me and zipped up. "But I think you said something along the lines of me being yours as well." She nodded with a blush. I kissed her quickly and she giggled. She moved both of her hands to my now fully erect member and I smiled wider. "Are you ready love?" She nodded and positioned me at her warm and wet entrance. She kissed me as I pushed in slowly. She moaned quietly and closed her eyes slowly. I moved my right hand to her chest and gently rubbed the spike along the sides, making her moan again. She broke the kiss and began moving her hips slowly with mine. We slowly built up a rhythm and she quietly moaned, her eyes now half open and staring into my own. I had a smile that I didn't think could ever fade even if I wanted it to. "I love you Liz." She smiled as I kissed her. She quickly moved her tongue into my mouth and we shared a passionate embrace. I still had trouble believing what I was doing with her. More than ten years I loved Ralts, Kirlia, Gallade, and especially Gardevoir, but never in any of those years would I have ever thought of doing this with any Pokémon. Now I could just barely believe I was making love to Liz, my trusted partner, and now my mate. I smiled into the kiss and felt her speed up her movements. 'I'll think about that later. For now, my love calls.' I moved my hand along the side of the spike, carefully moving it down so I could get to the nipple of the nearby breast. She moaned as I gently teased the nipple with my middle and index fingers, my thumb gently rubbing the side of the spike. She squirmed as I slowly increased my pace. She broke the kiss and looked into my eyes, as if asking if I was enjoying myself. I nodded and she smiled. She moved her arms around me and pulled me closer to her, being careful of her spike. "How are you holding up love?"

"Voir!" She moaned loudly. I smiled and kissed her right cheek. She moaned quietly and I kissed her left cheek. Her hips were starting to buck, which meant it was only a matter of moments before she would climax. I smiled as I further increased my pace. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, though she didn't seem to be in pain. Her walls started clamping tighter, pushing me closer to the edge of my control. "Devoir!" I smiled wider and kissed her, and her eyes seemed to squeeze tighter shut. Seconds later her walls gripped me tighter than before and she broke the kiss and cried out lovingly. I pulled nearly all the way out before pushing all the way in, as deep as I could go, finally allowing myself to climax within her. She groaned and pulled me into a deep kiss. I closed my eyes and started melting into her warm embrace.  
…

Authors Corner: Okay, I've seen other Authors do this, and I used to do it in the past once in a while. I guess now is as good a time as any to try again. This is one of my shorter chapters, I'm sure you've noticed. It passes the twenty five hundred words, so that's good enough for me. I really wanted this chapter up last Saturday, and I'm really sorry it wasn't done. I've been busy with other projects. Other fics to keep my mind focused on other things. And I told you all before, and I know it's sad, but I'm taking a short break from this fic. Feel free to flame me if you feel you have to, I won't blame you. But if you have to, flame me via PM instead of a review. It'd make it more personal to me that way, thus getting your point across more accurately.

Now, the reason I must take a break, is because I spend a lot of time writing multiple chapters in advance. It gives me a sense of direction for the fic, and I can post more readily. I'm still sticking to my weekly deadline, but now I'm going to do it earlier, because it's going to be summer soon, and that means a rise in temperature. Ice demons don't do well in that kind of heat, and my computer is in the one place in my kingdom without air conditioning, my kitchen. It's also right in the path of the afternoon sun, so I'll try to post before sunrise if I can. I'm not one to sugarcoat things, so I'll just say this once, and I hope you can forgive me. Gallade's Arm is now postponed for an undetermined amount of time. I'll be working on the new chapters though, and I'll be working as fast as I can, so don't worry, you'll get the new chapter eleven before too long.

In the meantime I repeat my offer. I want _your_ opinion on which fic I post next week.

My Fallout 3 fic: Fallout Warrior, a tale of the Vault 101 dweller, done with a character I designed in the game itself, with changes to the game to make it slightly more in my style. The Vault 101 Dweller's tenth birthday, a day when you get your Pipboy and some real responsibility, and your dad gives you your first BB gun. Fast forward six years. You take the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test, or the GOAT, to find out what job you were made for. Three years later, you hear the blaring alarm as your dad, who raised you for nineteen years, alone, escapes the Vault. You don't know why, but your best friend, and crush, wakes you up to tell you that her father, the Overseer of the whole Vault, is sending security to pick you up. She wants you to escape and find your dad and figure out what he was thinking. Rated M for mature, for violence, language, drinking, drug reference, and sexual reference.

My Pokémon Mystery Dungeon fic: PMD Team Chaos. A human with no life from the human world wakes up, badly injured, and is taken to a Chansey Clinic by two young Pokémon. He wakes up there, still hurt, but strong enough with their help to take on a powerful foe. Together, they form Team Chaos, a group of three odd personalities and opposing types. But the human remembers his past, and he has a secret he keeps at first, and now he has a destiny to fulfill. Rated T for teens, for mild language, fantasy violence, and flirtatious dialogue.

And last, my Left 4 Dead fic: Vamp. Take a kid, Jack, and give him amnesia during the infection. Infect him, and put him in a coma with a previous illness for two weeks, and give him the aforementioned amnesia. What happens when that illness and the infection meet? Does it make him different? Or does it make him something new? Rating pending.

That's just a taste of what I've been doing over the past few months. You know what, I've got one more fic in the vault, what the heck, I think I'll put it on the table too.

The real last fic, a Misadventures of Tron Bonne fic: Enigma Number 42. Tron's big brother Tiesel borrowed a million Zeni, but he couldn't pay it back in time so he was kidnapped. She breaks out her new robot, the Gustaffe, and saves him. She even destroys and ancient Reaverbot in the process that was supposed to be the most powerful one of them all. Millions of Zeni earned, lost, and used, she managed to build the Gesselschaft and forty Servbots. Some say there was a forty first somewhere, but maybe, in another universe, one made by a certain Demon Lord in his spare time, there was a forty second. And maybe, maybe he wasn't a real Servbot. Maybe he was a human. Or maybe even something more. An enigma that she calls Number Forty-two. Rated T at the beginning for violence, later M for reasons that will be clear.


	11. A slight tweak

**Okay, by the time you're reading this part, this chapter is several months old. I've taken extra time and care into making this part, shall we say, worthwhile. I toiled for an entire two weeks on this alone, and that was shortly before finishing chapter ten. As you all know, I've been posting another fic or two in the absence of this one. I apologize to those that have come to enjoy this fic, but as I said, I needed time to write new chapters. Six was as many as I had when I started, and I moved through those quickly. I've decided once and for all, I will only do one posting a week, on Saturdays. I've worked very hard, and I hope you all appreciate my efforts.**

**Now, this is by far the longest chapter I've got for this, and, I'm frankly amazed with myself. Never did I think I'd write a chapter this long. Heck, this is two chapters worth folks, so it's a very big 'sorry for not getting done as soon as I wanted to' wouldn't you say? Really now, fifteen pages, seven thousand words, and plenty of plot to go through, I'm quite pleased with myself.**

**Well, I'm proud of this chapter, and I hope you all thoroughly enjoy it as much as I did writing it. After all, lemon scenes take real guts to write, even though I'm not going to be putting so many in for the future. Sorry to those of you who aren't happy at this, but I only put in the lemons for personal reasons that will become evident later. There will be some from time to time, but that's not what this is about.**

**And this also marks the start of something new and exciting. I'm getting a lot of readers, even when not updating. This is putting me in a confident mood, so that means that the new chapters are going to be getting better as I go. Keep me confident, and I'll keep giving you quality reading material to pass the time.**

**I would like once more to thank DragonLord Seth. He has been most helpful, spotting my errors. He hasn't told me of many, but the ones he alerts me to are ones I often wonder how I missed. Still, even Demons make mistakes. In those cases, it takes a dragon to spot them. Or rather, as this case goes, a Drakon. Talk to DragonLord Seth if you wish to know what I mean. He can explain it much more effectively than I can.**

**Disclaimer: *Puts on simple pair of wireframe glasses and pulls out a scroll* I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not, in no way, shape, or form, in this, or any alternate, universe own the rights to the Pokémon Franchise. I do own the original characters within however, as I was the one to create their personalities and the situations they are in. *Removes glasses and sets scroll on nearby table* So, are we clear on that ladies, gentlemen, and esteemed lawyers? Good.  
**…

I opened my eyes slowly and saw Liz sleeping peacefully. I smiled and began closing my eyes when a sound was heard nearby. My jacket sat a few feet from me, but there was a buzzing noise coming from it. It was my cell phone. I moved my left hand behind me slowly and felt the jacket right behind me. The phone had made it move closer to me. I reached for the pocket and used my psychic power to move it directly to my hand. Liz opened her eyes slowly and looked into mine for a moment. I kissed her lips and she smiled.

"I'll be with you in a few seconds love." I said quietly. I looked at the display of the phone and sighed. It was Silph Co.'s R&D department. That meant that it was Elle, a girl who had a crush on me. She thought she hid it well, but the only person that didn't know she had a thing for me was Liz since she hadn't met her. I opened the phone and slowly put it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hello." The familiar female voice said. "Is this Mr. Alastor?"

Elle was a strange girl. She had short blond hair and deep green eyes. Her skin had a light tan to it, despite how much time she said she spent on beaches. She stood at five feet six inches and had an average build. She was very nice, if a bit lacking in terms of confidence. She really had a problem involving me. I had only met her once before, but she had fallen head over heels for me. She was the one who made my Pokétch, her uncle being in a family that made them. The Pokétch itself was still a prototype, but it worked perfectly and I occasionally called her to tell her how well it worked.

"It is." I replied.

"I apologize for calling so early, but we've made a breakthrough and we thought you'd be interested." She said. "We've recently completed a prototype Pokémon translation device, and we thought we'd let you have the first model since you've been so generous in your donations for the research." I thought about it for a moment. "We have word you'll be in Celadon City sometime today, at least according to Johan."

"Yeah, I think we'll be there around noon or so." I said.

"Okay, then you're interested?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied simply. "I'll stop by the Pokémon Center first."

"Okay, I'll have someone waiting just inside." Elle said happily. "Thanks Mr. Alastor. And don't forget to send periodic reports as to the performance. If it works properly, if it has problems, anything at all, you let us know how it works." I heard her giggle. "Good day Mr. Alastor."

"Thank you." I replied casually. "Goodbye." She hung up and I flipped the cover back. I set the phone behind me and Liz kissed my chin quickly. "Well, we should probably head out soon." I looked into her eyes and she seemed a little sad. "Don't worry; we'll spend some time together at the hotel. I promise." She smiled and I kissed her. Her right hand moved over my back and I moved in closer. We had shared the sleeping bag that night, among other things. When we broke the kiss I moved the zipper on my side down and I moved out. "Okay, let's get dressed so we can head out." She nodded and sat up, though she seemed kind of disappointed. She smiled though, showing that she understood. I grabbed my pants and pulled them on calmly while Liz grabbed her dress and put it on slowly. I grabbed my shirt and quickly slipped into it. When I pulled my head through the neck Liz had moved in front of me. She quickly kissed me and giggled. I smiled and chuckled quietly. "Liz, come on. We've got all day for fun." She smiled and blushed. "Okay, one more kiss. Then we have to get moving." She giggled and moved her arms around my neck. She moved her lips to mine and I placed my hands on her waist. We stayed that way, not moving, for around a minute. In all those seconds, neither of us tried to use our tongues. It felt less sexual, but it really made me feel how much she loved me, right in my heart. When we broke the kiss, she had a deep blush on her face. I smiled and she giggled quietly. "You look happy." She nodded. "Well, we should get going." She nodded again as my jacket draped itself over my shoulders. She let go of my neck and I her waist. She stepped out and I put my arms through the sleeves. I pulled out the sunglasses and put them on, followed by my hat. I pulled on my gloves, followed by my socks and boots. I stood up and packed the sleeping bag and the mini pillow. The pack that held them was specially designed to act similar to a Pokéball, converting the object to a smaller size so it would be easier to carry, as well as lighter. 'Ah, the marvels of my beloved Silph Co.'

"Gardevoir!" Liz called happily. I opened the tent flap and looked out to see a large group of Butterfree flying by.

"Wow." I said calmly. "That's pretty nice." I stepped out and watched as Liz stared at them happily. 'Though not as nice as you Liz.' I smiled as she put her hands together in front of her. 'And as beautiful as Butterfree are, there is nothing more beautiful than you.' I smiled wider and walked up to her, the tent poles loosening and the tent itself lowering to the ground with a simple thought. I looked around quickly and saw no one around. I walked up behind her and placed my right hand on her left shoulder. She looked at me and I looked up at the Butterfree. "That's one of the best things about travelling." She looked ahead to the Butterfree again. "Seeing sights that not just anyone can appreciate, that's one reason many choose to set out on their own journey." She nodded and I looked back as the tent folded itself up. I smiled at my progress with my powers. I didn't even have to see what I was doing anymore. The tent slowly moved into the pack as the tent poles folded up.

"Devoir?" Liz asked. I looked at her and saw her giving me a confused look. She tilted her head and I smiled.

"It's nothing love." I said calmly. "I'm just feeling kind of proud of myself." I nodded toward the tent poles, now going into the pack. She looked and smiled. "I'm getting pretty good at this." I chuckled as the pack floated over to me silently. "Though, I'll never be as good as you." She giggled as the pack set itself in the pouch of my backpack, also with the technology to compress and shrink various objects.  
…

We walked along the sidewalk, many of the people staring at us. It was about eleven thirty, and we had made good time. No other Pokémon trainers challenged us, so we didn't have any trouble slowing us down. Liz walked to my left, holding my arm in her own. She still walked, but she didn't seem to mind. I saw the Pokémon Center, but the person in front of it wasn't who I expected. I stopped before we were spotted.

"Liz, I should warn you." I said quietly. She looked at me. "That girl in front of the Pokémon Center." She nodded. "Her name is Elle. She has a bit of a crush on me." Liz tilted her head. "She likes me." She nodded. "Like you like me." She gasped. "I know. She thinks she does a good job of hiding it." I shook my head. "She doesn't. She stinks at hiding it." Liz giggled and I looked ahead. "She's got something that should help us." She tilted her head again. "Tell you what, you take the others in." I pulled out the Pokéball and handed them to her. "Take my Pokédex." I handed her the small device. "Nurse Joy should get the idea. If she doesn't, just sit on a couch until I come in." She nodded and held the items carefully. She let go of my arm and I felt a bit of sadness. "Hey, don't start that now Liz. I'll be in quick." She nodded and I set my left hand on her back and she smiled. "Come on. Let's get this over with. This over amorous girl should let me go if I play dumb and tell her I've got to make sure Joy isn't giving you a hard time." She nodded and started walking.

"Devoir." She said. I smiled and waved as she started floating away. I could barely keep my eyes off of her, admiring the graceful way she moved.

I walked up to Elle and she was staring at me curiously while Liz went into the Center. Elle was dressed in a blue t-shirt and a pair of bright blue jeans. On her feet were a pair of blue running shoes. She seemed nervous, as she often did. She turned her head and watched as Liz walked into the Pokémon Center.

"Hello Elle, how have you been?" I asked. She stared at me and I figured she must be having another one of her 'Fan' moods. Blue was her favorite color, she loved my sense of style, and most of all she liked my commitment to searching for a Ralts. "Elle, you're staring at me again." She shook her head quickly and looked at the doors as they closed. She pointed and looked at me. I simply nodded. "Yes Elle, I caught a Ralts and she evolved into a Gardevoir. She evolved in Pewter to a Kirlia, and her current form in Vermillion." She nodded. "You brought the Translator yourself?" She nodded quickly and pulled the item from a small bag. It was a small thin box.

"I hope it works properly." She said. "And I hope you like the design." She sounded very nervous, and I could feel the emotion flowing heavily from her. She was much more confident on the phone. I opened the box and stared for a moment. "Is, is there something wrong? Does the, is it, is something wrong with the design?" I looked at her and then at the contents of the box.

"They look like a pair of earrings." I said. She looked in the box and nodded. "This is the design they want to go with?" She nodded again. "Are they clip on?" She shook her head.

"They wanted to do that." She explained. "But, they thought that with your fashion sense, you'd, have, um, pierced ears." I nodded.

"Okay, I see your point." I said slowly. "I look at myself in a mirror and I think that I look like I should have pierced ears." I looked at her. "But I don't. My ears are not pierced." I looked in the box. The earring/translators were shaped like Pokéball, though flat. "I suppose I can get them pierced, but I wanted to put these to work sooner." She nodded, but I saw that she was biting her lip. "I'm not bothered, but I am surprised." She looked at me as I closed the box with a small smile. "I really should have asked what they looked like first. So, this one is on me." She blushed as I put the box in my right jacket pocket. I held out my right hand and she slowly took it in hers. I shook her hand and she looked like she was about to faint. "Thanks. This should really help a lot of people out if it works properly." She nodded.

"No problem." She said quickly. "Well, I should be going." I smiled.

"Call anytime Elle." I said. "It's good to hear from you once in a while." She blushed and quickly let go of my hand. She bowed and I suppressed a snicker. I hate formality.

"I should get going." She said. "I, I really need to get back to the office." I nodded and she quickly turned and walked away.

'She really needs to chill out.' I thought. I turned and walked into the Center, where Liz sat on a couch with my Pokédex but not the other Pokéballs. There were three others in the Center, two trainers and a man that looked like a biker. I sat down by Liz and she handed me the Dex. "Thanks Liz." She smiled and nodded. She knew not to kiss me in public, but I knew she wanted to. I knew because I wanted to kiss her as well. Something about not being allowed made it difficult to not do so. I just couldn't help but want to caress her body through her dress, making her moan, while kissing her neck. "So, did you have any trouble?" She shook her head. "That's good. I knew Nurse Joy would understand." She nodded again as I pulled out the box. She stared at it for a moment. "Elle gave me this. This can really help us. But there is a small catch." She tilted her head. "I need to go somewhere after we check into the Hotel. You stay up there for a bit, and I promise I'll be back as soon as I can." She nodded as we stood up. We walked out and I consulted my map of the city, displayed on my Pokétch screen.  
…

I walked into the small building. The sole reason I was there was that I was committed to understand Liz and the others, as if they could speak like me. I saw a kind looking young woman, but no others. I was alone in my pursuit of piercing my ears for the day.

"Hello." She said. She patted the seat in front of her. "So what can I help you with today sir?" I pulled out the box with a small, but somewhat nervous, smile.

"I just need my ears pierced." I replied. "I got some earrings from a friend, and I figured, why not?" She stared at me for a moment. "Yeah I know, I look like I already had my ears pierced." She nodded and smiled again as I sat down. I put the box away as she tilted the chair back. I had heard that it hurt, but I wasn't about to back away from this. I had made up my mind, and when I did that, there was no stopping me. "How long have you been at this?" She smiled as I looked to her, praying she wouldn't want me to remove my sunglasses.

"About six years." She replied. "My dad got me into this, and I found that I liked helping people with this. I know it hurts, but I need you to hold still now." I looked to see her holding a sharp object. I felt a bit more nervous, but after having my eye and hand cut by a Gallade, a needle through the ear was nothing.  
…

I walked up to the door feeling satisfied that I had my new translators set in my ears. I had done everything the instructions said to the letter and I had yet to run into any Pokémon. I hoped that they would work. They translated in real time, so I would be very happy if I could understand Liz right away. My ears were slightly sore, but it wasn't as bad as some people made it out to be.

"I hope Zero gets back soon." I heard from within. It was a female voice, so I figured it was Liz.

"Don't worry Elle, he'll be back." Another voice said. I stopped before the door and felt two sets of emotions from within. One was nervous and the other was confused and worried. I opened the door and saw Elle sitting on a chair and Liz standing in the middle of the room. She floated over to me quickly and hugged me after I shut the door. "I'm so glad you're back!" I patted her back and smiled.

"It's good to see you too Liz." I said calmly. She looked at me happily for a moment. I looked at Elle and she seemed confused. Liz let go of me and backed away, her hands held together in front of her. "Hello Elle. What brings you up here?" She stood up and walked slowly over to me.

"Zero, how close are you and Liz?" She asked. "I came here to talk to you about the earrings. The scientists said that they actually do have a clip on variety, but, she seems a little _too _happy to see you." I felt slightly nervous. "I heard that you caught her just under a month ago. She's evolved a bit fast, and Pokémon only do that when they really trust their trainer." She stared at my sunglasses intently, as if she could see into my soul.

"Liz is my best friend Elle." I replied. "She is also my first true friend." She nodded as Liz stepped behind me.

"I think you've had sex with her." Elle said quickly.

'Great.' I thought. '_Now_ she's not nervous around me. The one time she picks to overcome her nerves around me, she picks the exact wrong thing to know.' I felt a bit of fear from Liz, and I had explained how illegal it was for us to be in love, and how much more so it was for our love making. "What are you talking about Elle? Liz is my companion, but not like that." I prayed she wouldn't push the matter further, but she started sniffing at me.

"I've got a good nose Mr. Alastor." She said, still sniffing. "You smell like you've been a lot closer to her than just a hug." She sniffed at the air around me. "I know from various research tests I've been allowed to observe what a Gardevoir's sweat smells like. She's been sweating on you, and I don't think that it's sweat from battle." I felt my nerves starting to buckle, but I didn't know how to counter her on that. "I know how much you like Gardevoir, or at least I _thought_ I did. I figured I could help you one day, like helping with the training for the League, or whatever you'd want." I felt Liz getting more nervous by the second.

"Elle, it's not like that." I said. She shook her head, and I felt a great deal of sadness from her. She put on a big front, but she looked about to cry. "Liz got hurt fighting Sabrina, and she overused a Dark attack. She could barely walk for a week, and she was worried I'd leave her for not being able to battle for that long." Elle nodded slowly, but she seemed skeptical. "We walked to the Hotel, and she had to cling to my arm to manage that. She kept having to stop and sit, so when we were in the room I picked her up to set her on the bed." She nodded again, apparently starting to believe what I had said. And it was the truth, omitting the psychic powers. "As for you being able to smell her on me, she is very used to sleeping close to me. As a Ralts, I carried her around all the time and she slept on my chest most nights." Elle nodded. "When she became a Kirlia, I carried her on my shoulders. I'd often opt not to sleep in a tent, and I'd usually sleep up against the base of a tree. She'd climb onto my lap and sleep against me to keep warm." Liz nodded calmly behind me. "No matter what, she and I sleep in the same bed. Sometimes she curls up to me. It's not like we're both naked when we sleep." That part was the only lie, but I felt confident she'd believe me. She nodded slowly.

"I, guess that would make sense." She said. "But, but I know for a fact the smell on you is not just her sweat." I felt a bit more worry from Liz, and I felt very worried myself. "I've seen Gardevoir mating, passing by some labs some days, and I figured I'd learn about the Gardevoir evolution line. I smelled something, and I was told by one of the doctors that it was the smell of the female Gardevoir's natural lubrication, used during mating to help the male's entry into her body." I nodded, trying to keep a calm face. "You, I can smell her on you. Her arousal to be exact. You, you've been, you've slept with her." I stared at her, trying to look outraged, but I found it difficult. She had figured us out, and it was bothering me how easily she had done so. "Mr. Alastor, why are you, why would you have sex with a Pokémon? It just doesn't make sense to sleep with a, a, an animal." I heard Liz gasp and I held up my hands, careful not to show my green wrist. I'd be getting some longer gloves to hide it, that was final.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not go there Elle." I said in a low voice. "Don't ever call Liz an animal. I'm not going to repeat myself on this. Liz is my friend, my best friend." Elle stared at me and I felt some fear from her. I shook my head slowly, mostly to catch a glimpse of my arm to make sure that it wasn't exposed. "She deserves just as much respect as you or I do." She stepped back as I lowered my arms. I sighed and looked at the door. I quickly turned and opened it and looked out of it. There wasn't a single person outside the room or down the hall. The entire floor was actually empty, a stroke of luck on my part, and two floors below were the same, as were the two floors above us. I closed the door and locked it to be sure, and Elle seemed more scared. "Elle, how did you figure this out? No way did you figure this out from smell alone. For all you could have known, Liz could have been with another Gardevoir or a Gallade, and her smell could have just rubbed off on me from a hug." Elle blushed. "Yeah, I'm admitting that Liz and I are together, and I know you aren't about to tell anyone else. Something made you come up here to talk to us about this, so what is it that gave us away?" Liz shifted slightly and I felt a lot of sorrow from her at my admission.

"The, uh, the way she clung to your arm when you were walking." Elle said quietly. "I saw the way you walked, and I put two and two together after you walked away. The smell helped." She seemed very scared, and her confidence was almost nonexistent. I simply nodded and looked at Liz. "Most people will probably believe you if you tell them that she's just really affectionate."

"That might work." Liz said.

"That it might." I agreed. "Liz." She looked at me and I smiled. "Yes, I understood what you said." She stared while Elle gave a curious look. I tapped the small Pokéball shaped earring in my right ear. "Elle delivered a pair of these to me. That's why I wanted you to take the others into the Center without me."

"You, you can really understand what I'm saying?" Liz asked. Her voice was angelic to my ears, but I had to stay focused in front of Elle. I simply nodded and looked at the stunned girl in front of us.

"So, you love her?" She asked. I nodded. "Well, I, I guess I wish you the best. I won't tell anyone. I respect you too much to ever dream of doing anything to make your life difficult." I smiled as she put her hands together. I moved my right arm around Liz and she giggled.

"Thank you Elle." I said. She nodded, and I felt her becoming nervous again. "And Elle, I feel like I should tell you." She stared at me while Liz put her head on my shoulder and her right hand to my chest. "Everyone knows." She stared blankly while Liz looked at her. "Everyone knows how you feel about me." Elle blushed deeply and looked shocked. "I guess one person figured it out and started spreading it around. Eventually, someone let it slip to me over the phone one day." She looked at the floor. "I'm sorry Elle, but I know you'll find someone." She looked up at me weakly. "You're a good person, and you're attractive, there is no doubt about that. You're very smart, and you've got a charm all your own. You just need to learn how to use it." She nodded while Liz giggled.

"I think you're right Gene." She said. "Elle will definitely find someone to love one day." I smiled at the sound of Liz's beautiful voice. Elle simply stared at me and I noticed she didn't have translator earrings.

"Liz agrees." I said calmly. "She knows you're bound to find someone." Elle smiled.  
…

I stretched my arms and looked out the window. Liz sat in the main area, smiling happily while she looked at a catalogue of dresses that sat on a table. I wanted to wait until night to celebrate, but she didn't feel like going out to eat. I smiled as I looked at the city. It was very beautiful at the sunset.

"Gene?" Liz asked. I quickly looked over to her and she blushed. "Um, do you think I could get a new dress? I like what I've got, but, maybe one day we'll be able to go out in public. I, I think it would be nice if I had some different dresses to wear." I smiled.

"Whatever you want Liz." I said happily. I walked over to her and sat down to her left. She giggled for a moment and looked at the catalogue. "No matter how expensive, you pick out a dress and it'll be yours." She smiled and I looked at the catalogue. She turned the page and there was a single picture. It was a beautiful black dress with small red roses. She stared at it and I smiled. The price was really high, and the reason for that was because it was made by hand from a very delicate silk and satin thread. No two dresses were exactly the same. They could even be custom made with different patterns, and accessories could be special ordered. I felt a bit of joy from Liz, as well as a bit of sadness. "I could order that if you want." She looked at me. "It's not that difficult. I can have a tailor take your measurements, we can talk about what you want it to look like, and I'll call and order it for you."

"But, what would you tell Taylor?" She asked. I smiled.

"Not Taylor, _a_ tailor." I explained. "A tailor is a person that measures someone and then makes a custom outfit for them. They make it so that only that one person can wear it comfortably. Unlike the clothes I wear, a tailored outfit is specially made just for one person." She nodded as I looked at the dress, trying to imagine her wearing it. "So, I would tell the tailor that I am thinking of entering you in a contest." She smiled. "And he'd no doubt buy it. If he asked anything more, I'd tell him that I wanted to buy only the finest outfit for you, to give you the best possible chance I could to win the visual round." She smiled wider as I thought about it. "Yeah, that's a plausible story." I smiled at the thought of her going to a contest hall; where there would be less pressure to win. We could enter just for fun.

"What's a contest?" She asked. I smiled wider.

"A contest is different from a gym battle." I said. "But in a way it is similar. There are three rounds." She nodded. "First is the visual round. The audience watches you closely as we walk across the stage, showing them how beautiful you look." She smiled and I felt a bit of joy from her. "After that comes the appeals round. You use attacks in interesting ways, trying to make them look beautiful or cool or smart. Like using psychic to lift us off of the ground while we dance." She blushed. "We waltz, showing the crowd how much I trust you to hold us several feet above the ground while we both show them your grace and beauty." She giggled while I thought of how much fun it would be. "Yeah, I'm sure the crowd would love that. And the Judges would give big points for such a display." I leaned in and kissed her quickly. "Not to mention how close we'd be." She blushed.

"But, didn't you say we aren't allowed to love each other?" She asked. I nodded.

"But the audience and Judges won't know that we do." I explained. "What the audience and Judges will see is a trainer and his favorite Pokémon dancing in the air. So long as we remember where we are, and providing we can resist the urge to kiss one another, not one person will be the wiser." She smiled at my plan. "One part Beauty from you and I sharing a floating waltz, one part sneaky for us being so close, and one part bold for intentionally risking our secret." She smiled wider at the thought. "I'm sure it's risky, but if we could pull it off, we'd have a big laugh later." She closed her eyes and smiled. "And after the appeals round comes the contest battle." She opened her eyes with her mouth slightly open, and I couldn't help but want to kiss her. "Like the appeals round, you use attacks in new and interesting ways. A spinning double Ice Punch, making a shimmering cloud of ice shards before you strike the other Pokémon." She nodded. "Perhaps using teleport to go up behind the other Pokémon, only to unleash a quick Fire Punch, and teleport back to me." She smiled. "It's all a matter of timing and use of different attacks and moves." I nodded. "I know we'd do great on the Contest circuit." She giggled as I smiled. "Yeah, with your beauty and charm, and a little help from me, I bet we could go far." She smiled and leaned her head on my right shoulder. I moved my arm around her and looked down at her. She was looking at the dress again. "And that dress would drive more than a few members of the crowd wild." She looked up at me with a confused look. "Well, I'm not the only man who's willing to risk trouble with the law by falling in love with a Pokémon." She smiled. "I'd be willing to bet that one out of ten people in any given city want to be with their favorite Pokémon as more than just a trainer. And as far as that goes, I'm one of those people." She giggled as I rubbed her right arm. I looked at the window and saw the sun slowly sinking. "And I don't think I could ever regret my decision." I looked at her while she sighed.

"I'm so happy that you can finally understand me." She said. I nodded. "It feels so good to know that I can finally tell you how I feel and not just have you hear me saying 'Gardevoir' over and over." I kissed the top of her head and she giggled. "Why do you do that?" I thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know." I replied. "I guess I just like kissing you anywhere I can." She giggled again and I kissed her head again.

"I love you Gene." She said quietly. I pulled her slightly closer into a one armed hug.

"And I love you Liz." I said lovingly. "I love everything about you. And it all started when you walked into my tent that night." She sighed quietly. "We were meant to be together, and I wouldn't have it any other way." She closed the magazine and set it on the table.

"You know, you owe me for this morning." She said. I looked at her and saw her blushing. I smiled and she giggled. "You promised that we could have some fun in here tonight." She looked at the window. "And it's about time." I nodded.

"As you wish love." I replied. She smiled and nuzzled my shoulder.

"Why do you call me that?" She asked. I looked at her. "You call me 'love'. But, my name is Liz." I smiled and kissed the top of her head again.

"It's a pet name." I explained. "Humans often come up with a little nickname for the one they love. Some call their lovers 'sugar', 'darling', 'baby', or 'honey'." She nodded slowly while looking up at my face. "I like to call you 'love'. It's simple, and it means I love you every time I say it." She smiled and moved her left arm to my leg, slowly rubbing my thigh. "And that's the honest truth. I love you. I don't think I could ever be happy without you."

"I don't think I could live without you nearby Gene." She said happily. She began to look up at me when I stood up. She stared as I held my right hand out to her. She smiled and took my hand and stood up. I picked her up and she giggled. "What are you doing?"

"This is called a 'Bridal Carry'." I explained. I started walking toward the bed. "When a human male marries a human female, she is called the bride, and he is called the groom." She nodded as I used my psychic powers to close the windows and blinds. "I can't marry you, not unless someone passes a law that removes some old ones." I looked at her and smiled at her beautiful face. "But you are my mate, and though we haven't gone through the ceremony, that's close enough for me to call you my wife. Which is what a bride becomes after the ceremony is complete."

"So, I am your wife." She said. She set her head against my chest and I smiled. She put her right hand to my chest as well. "I like this feeling. I love feeling this happy. I don't ever want it to end." I kissed her head again and walked around the bed.

"Me too Liz." I said happily. "I never want to be apart from you. Even a single day would be almost too much for my heart to bear." She smiled as I gently set her down on the bed. "So, are you ready?" She blushed and sat up. She quickly teleported the dress to a chair a few feet away from me. I smiled as she did the same to my clothes. I looked down at my body and lowered my arms. I smiled and pointed at her with my right index finger. "You are such a showoff." She giggled and lowered her back onto the bed. I sighed and looked her body over as she put her arms over her head. "But you're my showoff." She giggled as I lowered my body to hers. "And that's just how I love you." She smiled and moved her arms around my neck slowly. I smiled and kissed her. It was amazing how much not being able to do this during the day affected me. I longed just to feel her bare skin beneath my fingers, and her soft lips against mine. I moved my right hand to her chest and began gently massaging her left breast. She moaned quietly into my mouth and I felt her happiness again. I loved how it felt. Knowing that she was so happy just put me in a great mood. I broke the kiss and she moaned quietly. She quickly looked at me and blushed. "It's okay love, you can moan a bit up here. There aren't any other people on this floor, or the two above and below us." She smiled and quickly moaned as I rubbed her nipple between my index and middle finger.

"Oh, this feels so good." She whispered. She hissed through her teeth and began running her fingers across my back. I smiled and kissed her neck, making her gasp. "Oh, oh Gene." I smiled and kissed her neck three times, making her moan quietly. "Oh, I love when you do that. Please don't stop." I smiled wider and continued kissing her neck.

"Your wish." I said, planting another kiss. "Is my command." I kissed her neck again. She squirmed as I moved my left hand down lower, to her sensitive lower lips. She gasped as I rubbed them with two fingers. I grinned and licked her neck, making her hug me tightly. I moved my fingers expertly around her moist lips, smiling as I kissed her neck again and again. I moved my right thumb to the spike and began rubbing it gently. She moaned quietly, almost weakly, as I continued my attention to her beautiful body. "I love your voice Liz." She gasped while I kissed her neck again. "The more I hear it, the more I love it."

"I'll talk whenever you want me to Gene." She groaned. "But, please, I'm so close." I smiled and moved the tip of my left index finger into her, making her inhale sharply. "Oh, that feels so good." I kissed her neck tenderly and moved my finger further in, before pulling it out. "Oh, please, this is so good." I moved my hand and gently slid my middle finger in.

"I know." I said with a kiss. "I just wanted to switch to a different digit." I smiled as she squirmed under me. I was as hard as I'd ever been, and my only thought was to hear her moan for a little bit longer before I started on my part. "I love you so much Liz. And you always seem so happy when we do this." She was breathing raggedly, and I knew she was about to climax. I smiled and moved down, still moving my finger in her.

"Gene?" She asked through her panting. "What, what are you?" I smiled and removed my finger. She groaned quietly as I spread her legs. I moved my face to her flower and smiled at the color. It was a pale rosy color, and her clitoris was clearly visible. I inhaled her scent and she moaned quietly. I looked up to see her moving her fingers on her nipples and spike. "Gene, please, I need this now. Please, finish what you started." I smiled at how desperate her voice sounded. I looked back to her moist lips and I licked them, making her shudder. "Oh, what, what are you doing?" I smiled wider and moved my tongue into her. She tasted strange, but I liked it. I wanted more of her taste. She moaned loudly and spread her lips with my right hands index and middle fingers.

"You taste, like a rose." I said. I quickly licked her inner flesh, which was a vivid pink, a stark contrast to her pale white skin. She groaned quietly as I licked her inner folds, loving the taste. She did indeed taste like a rose, and I couldn't get enough. She squirmed under my delicate touch and moaned between her pants. I slowly licked my way up to her clitoris and she moaned loudly.

"Oh, oh Gene!" She called. I smiled as she bucked her hips to my face. I licked her one last time and moved up her body, smiling at every inch of her skin. She was smiling very wide in her afterglow. She looked into my eyes and I moved to kiss her. She quickly moved her arms back around me and we stayed like that for a few minutes, the entire time my member tickling her still moist entrance. She broke the kiss and smiled. "Okay Gene, I'm ready for you." I smiled at her enthusiasm. I slowly entered her and she groaned quietly.

"Oh Liz, I can never get tired of this." I said quietly. She looked into my eyes. "Listening to you moan, and wishing I would never have to leave your perfect body." She smiled and kissed me again as I went in deeper, until I met her cervix.


	12. The fifth badge

**Well, chapter twelve faithful readers. It's almost as long as chapter eleven. I had a ball writing these new chapters, and I have to say that it took a good long time. I'm turning into a romantic because of writing this fic. I guess it's also helping me when it comes to writing it as well.**

**And wow, so many hits just since I posted chapter eleven. I was blown away when I checked the traffic Sunday the second. Thank you, every last one of you, because this tells me that people like reading my many hours of work. Believe me when I say this, I'm proud to have such dedicated readers, and I hope to hear from some of my old fans soon. If I don't, I guess all I can do is keep waiting, because it's good to hear from you.**

**I am terribly sorry, I really am. I wanted so badly to post Saturday morning, but now I'm posting at almost half past ten Sunday night. I'm so terribly sorry. I hope this never happens again. So, onto the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: *Stretches back before putting on the glasses* Okay, here we go again. A round dozen disclaimers for one story, and I'm getting used to it. Mind that I am not saying that I particularly **_**enjoy**_** doing this part. It takes time out of my day, and I doubt any of you even bother reading it. I probably don't even need to put it in. Still, I'd rather be inconvenienced in putting this in than be inconvenienced by being sued. *Clears throat quietly while pulling out a scroll and unrolling it* I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby once more state that I do not own the rights to the Pokémon franchise, in any form, in this or any other universe, from now until the end of time. *Returns glasses and scroll to the table and silently sits in a comfortable armchair* Enjoy.**  
…

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Liz sleeping contently in my arms, her warm body held gently against me. I smiled and felt something warmer against my lower body. I looked down and smiled wider. I was still in her. I looked back to her face and saw a smile that I never wanted to see fade. My right arm was draped over her body and my left was beneath her neck. Her left arm held me to her and her right hand was resting on my chest.

'Could I be any luckier?' I thought. 'I've got the perfect girl. She's smart, beautiful, funny, and she's so nice. I don't think I could ever dare to think of another girl the way I think of this beautiful Gardevoir in my arms.' I smiled wider and kissed her forehead gently. She moaned quietly and I felt her heartbeat quicken slightly.

"Oh Gene." She said quietly. She pulled her body closer and nestled her head into my chest. She was talking in her sleep. I felt her happiness and I closed my eyes. "I'll never leave you."

"And I'll never leave you Liz." I said quietly. I kissed the top of her head and she made a small noise into my chest. I looked at the window and saw that the sun was up. I looked down at her and closed my eyes. 'I guess I can let her sleep for a little while longer.' My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Liz sat up, pulling me out of her. I sat up as well and looked to the door. "Oh man." I moved my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Liz, get dressed." She nodded as my pants flew over to me. There was another knock as I zipped them. "Just a second please!" I grabbed my shirt and pulled it on quickly, followed by my jacket and my sunglasses. "I need to get a long sleeved shirt. I probably look strange wearing a jacket this early in the morning."

"You look fine to me Gene." Liz said. I smiled. She had quickly put on her dress while I grabbed my hat and walked over to the door.

"Mr. Alastor?" A familiar female voice said. It was Gardenia. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I heard you were in town, so I decided to stop by." I opened the door and she looked in at me. "Hello."

"Gardenia, you're not bothering us at all." I said calmly. I stepped back and she walked in. "How have you been?" She smiled as Liz walked over with her hands together in front of her.

"I'm fine." She said. "I just got here this morning actually. I was in Saffron and Sabrina wouldn't see me." She looked at Liz. "I spent the better part of the last couple of weeks trying to convince her but she wouldn't listen." Liz sat down on the couch and I sat beside her while Gardenia sat on the chair across from us. "I heard that you've already beaten her. Is that true?" We nodded.

"Yes, but it was a close battle." I said. "It all came down to luck when Liz used Dark Pulse." She whistled while Liz blushed. "However, we had to stay in Saffron for a week and a half so she could recover. She took some bad hits and overdid it on the Dark Pulse."

"Wow." She said. "Sabrina is one tough Gym leader. I've heard that most trainers go after her badge last because she's so strong." I shrugged.

"Well, we wanted to get Saffron out of the way as soon as possible." I said. Liz nodded. "And now we're going to take on Celadon's Gym." She nodded.

"I'm heading there too." She said. "Erika is one of my best friends here. She uses Grass Pokémon, and they're my favorites." She smiled. "Tangela is the only one of my Pokémon I brought here, but he's good company." She rubbed the back of her head for a moment. "I just wish I could understand what he's saying." I smiled and Liz giggled.

"Well, I might be able to help you with that." I said. She stared at me for a moment and I tapped the earring in my right ear. "I just got these Pokémon translation earrings yesterday. They're really helpful." Liz nodded. "I might be able to pull some strings and get you a pair of clip on types if you want." She smiled brightly.

"Really?" She asked.

"Sure." I replied. "I am the majority stockholder, and I got these pair from a friend. I just need to make a call or two and I can get you a pair." Liz giggled. "Though you'll want to keep quiet about them for a while, since they're still prototypes. The ones I've got are the first ones done, but they might be able to get a clip on set finished in a couple days."

"Wow, that's really nice of you." She said. I blushed.

"Oh stop, you're embarrassing me." I said. "I like to help my friends." I moved my left arm around Liz and pulled her close, making her blush deeper. "After all, aside from you, I've got Liz, Sting, Garth, and Mawile." I thought about that statement. "Well, there's also a boy named Ash and a girl named Misty. I guess I could say that they're my friends."

"And Ash's Pikachu was kind of nice." Liz said. I nodded.

"Yeah, that he was." I said. Gardenia gave me a blank look and I held up my right hand. "Sorry, I forgot. Liz said that Ash's Pikachu was kind of nice." She nodded but still gave me the blank stare.

"Um, you seem kind of sweaty." She said. I felt my heartbeat quicken. "Are you okay? You seem kind of warm."

"Yeah, I did some exercises last night." I said. "I'm trying to keep in shape."

"And, Liz too?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, we're doing some serious training." I said. "Every day we do some pushups and the like." She nodded. "It's good being strong in one way, but strengthening body and mind makes for a more formidable style." She smiled and nodded. 'Thank Arceus she's buying this. If one more person finds out, that's too much left to chance. Though, she does know about my changes.'  
…

We walked up to the Gym entrance. It was massive.

"I'm starting to see a theme here." I said. "Sabrina's Gym had huge doors and was massive in and of itself. Erika's Gym is gigantic. Are all Gyms supposed to be big?" Gardenia laughed while Liz giggled. "I mean, when I think about it, even Cerulean City's Gym was huge. And Lieutenant Surge's Gym was pretty big." I shook my head. "Even Pewter City's Gym was bigger than a normal building." The girls kept laughing as we walked in. I was almost overwhelmed by the smell of flowers. "Whoa, a gym, a flower garden, and a perfume shop, all rolled neatly into one giant dome." I saw Liz smiling so I sighed. "Well, it is a pleasant smell, I will admit that."

"Thank you." A woman said. I jumped slightly, tripping and stumbling before catching myself. I put my right hand on my chest and inhaled deeply. "Are you okay?"

"Well, I was a bit tired a few seconds ago." I said. "And now I'm not." She giggled as I turned, still clutching my rapidly beating heart. She had short blue hair and a red headband. "So thanks for that." She wore a green kimono and had a kind face. She nodded as I lowered my hand.

"Erika, it's good to see you again." Gardenia said happily. She gave the woman a hug while I stared.

"This is the leader of the Gym?" Liz asked. I nodded.

"She must be." I said. "Gardenia said she was visiting the Gym leaders. And she called her Erika. That's the name of the Celadon Gym leader." She nodded while the two girls talked amongst themselves. "Well, I guess we should let them talk." I looked at a nearby rose bush. "Maybe we can take a look around." She nodded.

"That sounds nice." She said. "The flowers look so beautiful." I nodded.

"That they do." I said. "That they do."

"Who are you talking to?" Erika asked. I looked at her.

"I'm talking to Liz." I said. I remembered the translator again and slapped my forehead. "And I keep forgetting that I'm the only person here that understands her." I moved my hand away and shook my head. "She said that the flowers look beautiful, and I agree. The flowers here are very beautiful, and they smell nice." Erika nodded.

"But, how can you understand a Pokémon?" She asked. "All I hear her saying is 'Gardevoir'." I tapped the earring in my right ear.

"I'm testing the prototype Pokémon Translation Earring." I said. She nodded. "And I'm very happy to say that in a few months to a year, these babies are probably going to be standard equipment in Pokémon Centers, and they are likely to be sold to Trainers and Gym leaders for a fair price." She smiled. "I'm very happy to report that they work perfectly, and I understand every single word my best friend here says." I placed my left hand on Liz's right shoulder.

"She's your best friend?" Erika asked.

"Yes, and she's also my first friend, and my strongest fighter." I said proudly. Liz blushed and smiled.

"Well, you are welcome to have a look around my Gym." Erika said. "I'm going to catch up with Gardenia before our match." I tilted my head slightly to the left, as did Liz. Gardenia smiled as Erika giggled into her right sleeve. "Well, Gardenia says that you're a Trainer who wishes to challenge the Pokémon League, so I assume that you'll want to challenge me." I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks." I said. "We'll take a look around while you two catch up then." They nodded.

"We should be done in an hour or so." Erika said. "I shall send someone to guide you to where our match will be. We will each use two Pokémon, one on one." I nodded. "Until then, feel free to look around as you see fit."  
…

I stood at the perfume counter while Liz sniffed at the various fragrances. I smiled while I translated her words for the woman at the counter. The translator was working perfectly.

'As long as I have this, I get to hear the angel that is my mate.' I thought. I smiled wider at the word. 'I'm no longer human, but I'm not really a Pokémon. I'm not even half when I think of it.' I looked at my right arm calmly and then back to Liz. 'Maybe a eighth, a quarter at the most, but not half.' I smiled as Liz sniffed an orange bottle's contents. A single squirt would be sprayed onto a small napkin for her to smell. She looked at me and held it out. I sniffed it and smiled. 'Roses. You little sneak you.' She looked at me for a moment and I smiled wider. "I like it." She smiled and looked at the woman and then at me.

"May I have a bottle Gene?" She asked. I nodded.

"We'd like one bottle of that heavenly rose perfume please." I said. Liz smiled as the woman set the bottle in front of me while I pulled out my Debit card. I slid it and entered the number. I looked at the bottle and smiled. 'She's really testing me on this one. I had to tell her what she tastes like.' I signed the receipt and carefully put the bottle into a special pouch on my backpack. Liz bowed and I tipped my hat. "Thank you miss, from both of us." She smiled and bowed. We turned to see a girl walking toward us with a kind smile.

"Mr. Alastor?" She asked. I nodded. "Erika is ready for your battle. Please follow me."  
…

"I am glad you like flowers Mr. Alastor." Erika said. I nodded as a Gloom walked out from behind her, as well as a Tangela. "Shall we begin?" I nodded and pulled out Sting's Pokéball. "I shall choose Tangela." The Tangela jogged onto the battlefield and hopped excitedly.

"Oh boy, I'm so excited." He said. I smiled.

"I know how you feel Tangela." I said. He looked at me while Erika smiled. "I think we're all excited." He nodded and closed his eyes happily. I opened Sting's Pokéball and he stretched slowly as he appeared. "Are you ready Sting?" He nodded.

"It has been a long time since I've battled." He said. "I look forward to an interesting match." I nodded.

"Good luck buddy." I said. He nodded.

"Begin!" Gardenia said.

"Tangela, use Stun Spore." Erika said calmly.

"Okay, let's start off by getting in the air." I said. "Keep away from the spores." Sting quickly took off to where the spores couldn't reach while I stepped back. They were close to me, but they didn't touch me. "Okay, let's go with a Signal Beam." Sting aimed the beam and fired.

"Solar Beam!" Erika called. Tangela began glowing and quickly fired the beam. I whistled as the two beams collided in the air, creating an explosion. "Again Tangela!" Tangela glowed again and fired.

"Dodge and go in for a Twin Needle!" I called quickly. Sting narrowly avoided the beam and flew in while Tangela shook. The first hit connected, but the second missed.

"Sleep Powder." Erika said.

"Back off Sting, back in the air." I called. He quickly flew back as the blue spores spread through the area. A few drifted over but landed harmlessly in front of me. "Use another Signal Beam!"

"Use Vine Whip and Sleep Powder." Erika said. I bit my lip as Sting fired. He just missed Tangela as the vine shot up and grabbed his forearm.

"Sting, use Poison Sting!" I called. As he got closer the powder coated him and he just managed to sting Tangela once before falling to the ground. "Dang. That is one tough Tangela." I pulled out his Pokéball and smiled. "You did good Sting. You've earned a rest buddy." I pressed the recall button and he was returned to the ball. I put it back on the catch and chuckled. "I've got to say, you are one tough Tangela." He jumped happily. I grabbed Mawile's ball and looked at it. "What do you think Liz? Do you want to give her a go?" I looked at her and she shook her head.

"I think Mawile deserves a shot." She said quietly. "She did great against Surge, and she has the advantage. She says she even knows Fire Fang and Ice Fang." I nodded and opened the ball. Mawile yawned and looked up at me.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Do you feel up to a Gym battle?" I asked. She pointed at my face.

"What are those in your ears?" She asked.

"Translators." I replied. "I can understand what you, Liz, Sting, and any other Pokémon says." She smiled. "So, do you feel up to a couple of battles? Sting caught a bad break, so I'm hoping you can handle this." She looked at the Tangela, who seemed very pleased with himself while Erika gently rubbed his head.

"Is he strong?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I underestimated his strength and her tactics." I said honestly. "This time, I'll try to help you through this." She nodded.

"I'll do my best." She said. I knelt and held out my right hand.

"Thanks." I said. "I'll do my best to help you do yours." She smiled and took my hand. Liz smiled and put her right hand on ours. "Okay, let's lead off with a Fire Fang, get in there and get out. If he's still standing, get ready to use Fake Tears and Ice Fang." She nodded and smiled. She jogged onto the field and I smiled.

"Okay, you may begin when you are ready." Gardenia said. Mawile ran in before Erika could say anything. I smiled as she pointed.

"Use Sleep Powder!" She called quickly. She was too late, as soon as she said 'Sleep' Mawile had reached Tangela and her larger mouth had flames on the teeth. "Tangela!" Mawile spun and grabbed Tangela in the large mouth.

"Let's add a Slam to that move." I said. Mawile smiled and smashed Tangela to the ground before throwing him aside. He stood up and shook the embers off of his body. She started crying and Tangela seemed surprised.

"Um, wha, what did I do?" He asked quickly. He looked at Erika as she shook her head. Mawile smiled and ran up to him as her teeth began covering with frost.

"Tangela, watch out!" Erika said loudly. She pointed just a second too late. Mawile spun and bit him with the large mouth and swung him around rapidly. "Tangela, use Sleep Powder!" It was too late. Mawile tossed him in front of her and he was out cold, covered in frost and shivering. Mawile jogged over to me and smiled. "Oh, you did great Tangela. You were so strong and brave out there." She pulled out his ball and recalled him. "Wow, that is a very strong Pokémon." I rubbed Mawile's head and she smiled.

"Yes she is." I said. "All of my friends are strong. And we're going to take the next match, right Mawile?" Mawile nodded with a big smile.

"Yeah!" She said happily.

"There we have it." I said. "She's psyched, I'm psyched, I say let's move on to the next match." Erika nodded and the Gloom walked forward bashfully.

"It's okay Gloom." Erika said. "I have total confidence in you. I know you can do this. You just need to believe in yourself." Gloom nodded and looked at Mawile.

"Okay, this is the final match." Gardenia said. "You may start when ready."

"Gloom, use Weather Ball!" Erika called. I looked at the Gloom as it held its arms up.

"Okay, here I go." It said. It was female.

"Mawile, use Calm Mind." I said quickly. Mawile closed her eyes and I felt her calming down as a large ball of fire appeared above Gloom. "Oh my." I bit my lip. "Use Calm mind again, this is going to hurt." Mawile calmed her mind further as Gloom began throwing the ball. "Try to dodge it." Mawile jumped aside but the fire ball hit her left leg, exploding. She stood up shakily and I tensed.

"Again Gloom, you can do it." Erika said happily. Gloom smiled and I grinned.

"Okay Mawile, Sucker Punch." I said. Mawile smiled and dashed over to Gloom and punched her, making her fall slightly forward, losing the small flame from above her. "Now go for Crunch!" Mawile began turning when Gloom jumped back.

"Stun Spore!" Erika called, pointing to Mawile. Mawile gasped as the spores flew into her larger mouth. I groaned as she swallowed them reflexively. "One more Weather Ball."

"Mawile, can you move?" I called. She groaned and tried to back away as the ball formed. "Dang, this isn't good." I thought for a moment and groaned. She had no ranged attacks. 'Think, think, how can she turn this around? How can we reverse this?' I closed my eyes as Gloom threw the ball. 'Come on Mawile, if you can take this hit and move, one last attack might win.' I opened my eyes. 'That's it.' I pointed to Gloom. "Mawile, try using a Faint Attack!" She looked up and vanished. 'Come on, please be able to move for this, please be able to move fast enough.' I closed my eyes and heard the explosion, along with Liz's gasp. I waited for a few seconds before opening my eyes. Mawile stood behind a falling Gloom. I smiled as she knelt.

"Now that's how you do it." Mawile said quietly. She looked at Erika as Gloom sighed. She was obviously stunned.

"Gloom is unable to battle." Gardenia said. "Zero Alastor is the winner."


	13. The new plan

**Here we are, chapter thirteen. Now, if ever there was a filler chapter for this fic, this is it. Pretty much, I needed to do some thinking and it brought me here. I need to get this fic on a permanent track, and that track was supposed to be something like this. A serious trainer, his Gardevoir, and his unique situation to deal with, and he was supposed to be going for the Pokémon League Challenge while dealing with the right arm of a Gallade in place of his own, and the right eye of one as well. The original idea was a lot different, but now I have a new plan. So, that's what I'm doing, and it starts here.**

**In other news, I will once more have to postpone this fic. I put this in my profile, but, I want to make sure my message is made known. Sorry, but I'm losing interest and that just can't happen now, not when so many people are reading this. I'll be putting up alternate fics, and I hope you can enjoy them while I get back in touch with this fic. I won't write for it, I won't read it, and I won't think about it for a few weeks, but I need to get some fresh ideas going, otherwise this fic will turn into something I had no intention of making it. It'll end up being a lot of lemons, one after another, with the occasional battle. It'll be a low grade fic by my standards, and quite frankly that's not my style, nor will I let it happen now that so many are reading and enjoying this fic.**

**So, I apologize in advance, but I have to stop posting Gallade's Arm for a while, and my estimated restart isn't close. Sometime in October is my basic estimate, but even that is just speculation. When I have five chapters done, that's when I'll restart this. When I can come up with five consecutive chapters and get a sixth partway done, then I'll get to bringing this back. I'm sorry again, please, please find it in your hearts to trust that I will bring this back and it will be at least as good as you've come to find it. Feel free to flame, I probably deserve it.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby once more state that I do not, in any way, shape, or form, own the rights to Pokémon and any subsidiaries thereof in this, or any other, universe. Simply put, I don't own Pokémon, and probably won't in the near future.  
…**

I looked out of the window of my hotel room. I was thinking about the Gym battle just a few hours ago. Mawile had barely managed to win, and I was realizing that I was lucky for that. I'd have to train harder. I had five badges, but the last two were won by luck and little else. Liz was sitting in the main part of the room, reading the magazine from before. I was careful to keep a happy memory in mind to keep her from worrying.

'That last battle, that was close.' I thought. 'Too close. We're going to need some serious training if we want that sixth badge in Fuchsia. And more Pokémon can really help tip the odds in our favor.' I smiled slightly. 'And, it can't ever hurt to have more friends. Sting, Mawile, Garth, without them, we wouldn't have made it this far. We'll need more friends to handle the next Gyms.' I thought about the guide I had bought when we entered Kanto. The information on each Gym Leader was vague, but it helped me prepare in advance. At least, that's what I thought when I had started. I had completely ignored it, going in with only the knowledge of types. That wasn't going to cut it much longer. Fuchsia had a leader with great skill, a ninja named Koga. He specialized in Poison and Bug types. 'Liz can handle them if she tries hard enough, but we need fire. Fire Punch can handle the bugs, but chancing only by an attack isn't a good idea. Mawile can handle them, but I'll find a Fire, Ice, or Flying type to deal with the bugs to be safe.' I thought of the regional Flying types for a moment. 'Flying types around here aren't as numerous as I'd like.'

Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and Pidgeot, Spearow, Fearow Farfetch'd, Doduo and Dodrio, all were good choices, but the selection wasn't incredibly diverse. Six different species meant I'd still be leaving an element to chance. Fire types were also in relatively short supply in just about any region. Charmander, Charmeleon, and Charizard were available as starters, but they were incredibly rare in the wild, so they were pretty much out unless someone either abandoned one at a Pokémon Center or someone wanted to trade for one, or even if someone had one for sale. Vulpix was a nice choice, and by association Ninetales was a powerhouse among Fire types, and there was an area that I had heard of near Celadon that was known to have wild Vulpix around in fair abundance. Then there was Ponyta and Rapidash, a couple of equine Pokémon with fiery manes and tails. They were very fast as well, being used as racing Pokémon or travel by some. Then there was the elusive Magmar, a very powerful fire type, but they were known to be somewhat rare, and the only areas that had them in any decent number in Kanto was near a volcanic island, just beyond Fuchsia, so that plan was out for the moment. There was the always faithful fire canine Growlithe, and it's evolved 'legendary' form Arcanine. Growlithe were very loyal and faithful to their owners, and they were commonly used by the police. Arcanine were very rare, due to the rarity of the Fire Stone needed to evolve them, but they were much faster and much stronger. Last was Flareon, an evolutionary branch of a Pokémon called Eevee. Eevee were rare, but they could be found, if not purchased. The only thing was, Flareon was another Pokémon that had to be obtained by using a fire stone, and I didn't like forcing the choice on any Pokémon. Catching them was kind of a hypocritical point, but taking care of them and befriending them was the reason why they were caught, so that counts somewhat I guess. But having an Eevee would be nice. They were affectionate little Pokémon, and it never hurt having one around. And they could evolve at any time during the day or night into Umbreon or Espeon if they felt like it, and they were good Pokémon.

"Gene?" Liz asked. I turned my head to her and saw her giving me a concerned look. "Are you okay? You seem to be thinking quite deeply." I smiled and turned from the window, closing it with a thought. I walked over to her and sat down beside her, moving my right arm around her shoulders.

"I was thinking about the Gym battle earlier." I said. "That was a little bit too close at the end." She nodded. "I think we're going to have to buckle down and start training a bit more seriously. And we'll need more friends to help us, and they'll have to be of many different types." She nodded slightly. "I've been thinking about the next Gym, in Fuchsia, down the road a good ways from here. The leader uses Poison and Bug type Pokémon."

"So, Mawile and I should have little trouble." She said. I shook my head.

"That's what I thought in the Gym today." I said. "Sting went down pretty quick, and Mawile had trouble. We can't just count on being lucky from here on out. We have to think ahead, and that means I'm going to be on the lookout for any Pokémon that can help us." She nodded. "But, what I'm more worried about is if we aren't strong enough, you or the others could get hurt pretty bad, and that's something I'd like to avoid. I don't want to sound mean, but we need to be a lot stronger if we want to make the League."

"I hope I can help us get there." She said. I smiled.

"You will." I said. "Psychic Pokémon are among the strongest of all types, and you're a Gardevoir." She looked over at me. "Gardevoir are some of the strongest Psychics around, and you're the strongest Gardevoir I've ever seen." She smiled and blushed. "And you are, without any shadow of a doubt in my mind, _the_ most beautiful Gardevoir ever, in the history of all Gardevoir." She giggled. "And just because I want you and the others to train harder, that won't mean we'll be any less close to each other. I'm still going to be as nice to you and the others as always. I love you Liz, but I don't want you or the others to get hurt for anything." She nodded. "That means that I'm going to help you train however I have to, even if I have to jump in and personally take care of it." She nodded and I looked at the magazine. I blushed slightly at the page she was on. On the page, there was a black cocktail dress. I found myself imagining her wearing it, and she looked incredible in my mind. 'I hope you want this dress Liz, because I think you'd be an angel in it.'

"Um, what about, you know?" She asked. I looked at her and saw a slight blush on her cheeks. "If we, want to, during our training?" I smiled a bit wider.

"Well, after training, if we aren't too tired." I said. "If you want to, I'm not going to say no unless it's too risky." She nodded and I rubbed her arm lightly. "But I promise that if you want to, any time I know we can without anyone finding out, we will." She smiled and I kissed her left cheek. "All you have to do is ask." I thought for a moment. "And, if we're somewhere, like a Pokémon Center, and you feel a little, playful, just walk up to me and take my hand and lightly tug. That'll be our little code that lets me know if you want to, you know." She blushed deeper. "Don't worry, I'll find the right excuse to let us slip away to a safe place."

"I'm so lucky to have you as my mate." She said. I smiled.

"I'm pretty lucky myself." I said. She giggled. "After all, I spent ten years looking for you, and I never would have dreamed that I'd fall in love with you. So with all things considered, I guess we're both lucky that we were allowed to find each other." She nodded and I kissed her cheek again.

"Thank you Gene." She said. She leaned her head into my side and I smiled. "I'm so happy you love me. I was so scared before, when I first kissed you. I thought you'd reject me, or tell me to go away." I rubbed her arm. "I was so scared that you wouldn't love me back, I could barely think. But, I wanted to kiss you, just once, so that I could know what it was like." I kissed the top of her head lightly and I felt her love in my heart, and it felt great. I never wanted that feeling to go away, even for a moment. "I was so relieved when you said that you loved me."

"And I still do Liz, I always will." I said quietly. "You were my best friend when we met, and we only got closer as we travelled. I went from carrying you in my arms to letting you ride around on my shoulders." She sighed quietly. "And now we walk, side by side, hand in hand. I'm glad we can finally be so close. And anyone that sees us only sees a trainer and his Pokémon with a powerful bond." She moved her left arm around me and gave me a small hug.

"I hope we can always be together." She said. "I never want to be away from you Gene." I gently pulled her closer.

"I know Liz." I said. "And I never want to be away from you. When you were in the Pokémon Center after Sabrina, I spent the whole time pacing around the waiting room. I knew you'd be okay, but I was so worried." I rubbed her arm gently. "And then that dream right after, that really scared me." She nodded into my ribs.

"You used Hyper Beam though." She said. "That was, that was really sweet of you to help me."

"Whenever you're in trouble, I'll be right by your side." I said. "I'd move mountains just to be near you, and I'd stop the hands of time just to make you smile."

"Thank you." She said. I kissed the top of her head again. "I'm so glad that we love each other, and I'm so happy you can understand me."  
…

I sat on the edge of the bed as Liz slept. Something was weighing heavily on my mind. I had made the decision to catch a Vulpix, since there was a place where I could find them nearby. They were powerful when raised properly, and I knew that a Fire type would be easier to get than an Ice type. Ice type Pokémon were very rare in all areas, but catching one was a great achievement since they were powerful when properly trained. But my plan was to get a Vulpix, since they were fairly common, and very good to raise. It was four o'clock, and I had awoken several minutes prior. My problem was that I was wondering how the Vulpix would take it. After all, I would be taking the Pokémon out of its natural habitat, and even taking care of it I would feel a twinge of guilt at separating it from its family and friends.

'I guess it's something _I _feel I have to do, but I'll see how the Vulpix feels.' I thought. 'If he or she goes willingly, then I guess I'll feel a bit better about it. That'd be for the best I suppose, that the Pokémon is okay with travelling with me right away. That way, there won't be that awkward phase where they get used to travelling.' I looked at my right arm. 'Maybe, if I show that I myself am part Pokémon, it'll be easier to get them to come with me. It should establish trust that I show them something I have to hide.' I had a small idea, but it would be nearly impossible to have someone help me. I wanted something of a sleeve that would cover my arm, but it would take weeks of perfecting a plan, and I'd need Elle to help me with it. Getting something to compensate for my eye however, would perhaps be easier to get. All I would need is a special contact lens for my left eye. Again though, I'd need Elle to help me get the idea across. 'Maybe, maybe some flesh colored paint or something for my arm to hide it.' My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Liz stir. I looked back and saw her opening her eyes. She looked over at me and I smiled. "Good morning beautiful." She smiled.

"Good morning handsome." She replied. She sat up and let the covers fall from her body. Her dress sat on the chair by my jacket and shirt. She moved her long legs over the side of the bed and she stood up and stretched, giving me a good view of her body. I studied every single inch of her that I could lay my eyes on. "So, what are we going to do today?"

"Well, I'd like to check on Sting and Mawile first." I said. "Then I want to find out where we can find some Vulpix so we can catch one. Bug types are weak to Fire, Ice, and Rock types, and the only nearby choice would be a Fire Pokémon." She nodded as she walked over to me. She sat down next to me and moved her upper body onto my lap. I put my right hand on her head and gently stroked her hair. "It should be nice to have a new friend. And that friend should put us closer to the League, and we'll have someone knew to share our adventures with." She sighed.

"That sounds nice." She said. "I really like having friends. My parents always kept me close by, and they'd never let me make any friends. Any I did make were too scared to stay around long enough for me to get to know them." I looked down at her. She had closed her eyes as I stroked her hair. "When I was in your tent, I, I felt how happy you suddenly got. You didn't seem like a bad person, so I thought I could trust you." I smiled as she looked up at me. "I'm so glad we met Gene. I never thought I'd have any friends, and now I have you and the others."

"I'm glad too Liz." I said quietly. "I never had any friends because I spent so much time looking for a Ralts. I'd move from town to town, forest to forest, all to find, well, you I guess I can say now." I smiled wider. "Now that I have you, Sting, Mawile, and Garth, I feel like I can finally start working on making good friends." She nodded as I continued stroking her blue hair. It was soft and very smooth. "Of course, I also have to get to really know you. After all, when it comes to love, knowing your lover is very important." She blushed and sat up, so I moved my hand away from her head. I was already missing the gentle action. She moved from laying on my lap to leaning into my side, her head on my right shoulder. I moved my arm around her gently and she closed her eyes.

"Gene, what was it like, moving around trying to find a Ralts?" She asked.

"Well, at first I had a few people helping me." I said. "I'd have, three guys protecting me. After all, I'm the last of my bloodline, and the final heir of a king. So, I wasn't alone in that sense, but I was lonely." I thought about my travels from when I was ten. "Every day I'd wake up, eat breakfast, and start looking for a Ralts. My mother's first Pokémon was a Ralts after all, and I was determined to follow in her footsteps as much as I could." I looked at her and saw her smiling. "The only difference, is that she never fell for her Gardevoir." She giggled quietly and I kissed the top of her head. "Anyway, the first three years went by rather sadly. I'd find trainers with Ralts, but they didn't seem all that enthusiastic, so I know they don't fully appreciate having them. I'd tell them how wonderful a Ralts would be when they finally evolved to a Gardevoir or a Gallade, but they'd just scoff at me." I chuckled. "I hope we meet a few of them, just so I can show them how wrong they are for not appreciating what they've got." I looked at her for a moment and saw her eyes looking up at me. "After all, the more a trainer shows care for their Pokémon, the stronger that Pokémon becomes." She smiled again. "And you, you're the strongest Gardevoir that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

"So, you've seen a lot of other Gardevoir?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yes." I replied. "I've seen hundreds of Gardevoir, wild and trained, male and female. And I know how to spot a male Gardevoir right away, and that's something not many humans can do." She giggled. "It's the eyes you need to watch." She looked up at my face. "A male Gardevoir's eyes are a bit dull compared to a female Gardevoir's." She nodded. "And one other way to tell, is the way they carry themselves when they walk. Male Gardevoir aren't as graceful when they use their legs." I looked at my arm. The green was very noticeable, but I was now completely used to seeing it. "But one thing my travels have never brought me, even after my bodyguards left me, is joy. I've never been able to fully enjoy a sunset, or the sight of hundreds of Butterfree flying off into it. And I've never enjoyed those sights, because I was always alone or with people I barely knew." She smiled. "With you, I can really take in the natural beauty of this world, because I get to stand next to the most beautiful sight it has to offer."

"What sight is that?" She asked. I felt her playfulness in the air. I didn't need to feel her emotions to know what she was thinking.

"You." I said. "Of all the sights I've seen, you're the most beautiful of them all." She smiled and leaned up to kiss me. She pulled back and gave me a loving smile. "Well, the only thing more beautiful, is when you smile, especially when that smile is for me." She giggled as I moved over to her, kissing her before she could react. I felt that familiar feeling again, as I had the night before. Our tongues met and we stayed like that for a few moments. She broke the kiss and had that usual blush.

"Perhaps we should wait until later." She said halfheartedly. I felt that urge again, but I always let her decide. I could be ready whenever she wanted, but she'd have to pick the time.

"It that's what you want." I said calmly. "If you want to wait, you just say for how long." She smiled. "I'd wait a million years just to kiss you if you told me to."

"You really mean that?" She asked.

"You say 'jump', I say 'how high'." I said seriously.

"Well, I'll have to test that little theory later." She said with a wink. I just smiled. "But, maybe the others can wait for a little while longer. I mean, last night was fun, but I still feel a little…" She leaned in and put her lips near my right ear. "Frisky." I smiled and kissed her neck.

"Whenever you want, I'm yours, my sweet little mate." I whispered. I felt a sudden rise in her happiness and I moved my arm slightly around her to brush my fingertips against her spike. She moaned quietly as I gently rubbed the smooth surface. As smooth as it was, it reminded me of gemstones of how it felt. It was strange, but it was as if I were feeling a piece of warm topaz. I loved how it felt every time, and since we felt each other's emotions, we shared a small portion of each other's pleasure. It certainly made for great lovemaking. "You know, I can never get over how good it feels to do this with you. Massaging this smooth spike." I began playing with her right nipple with my thumb, making her gasp. "Gently teasing your nipples." I licked her neck slowly.

"Ooohhh, Gene, that feels so, so good." She moaned.

"And every time you make those sounds, I just love hearing your angelic voice." I said quietly. I gently kissed her neck as she squirmed under my fingers. "I've never heard such a wonderful voice as yours, and I just find myself wanting to hear every little syllable, every breath, and every sound you make."

"Remind me to speak more often." She breathed. I smiled.

"Oh, I will my sweet Liz; I will make sure we have plenty of time to talk." I whispered. "Every time you say anything, I'll make sure I hear it, and I'll make double sure I understand it perfectly clear."


	14. One more for the team

**Happy holidays everyone. Even I have a little celebration around this time of year, and yes, I celebrate Christmas, so Merry Christmas while I'm here. I'm still not formally posting this, but I figured I'd give a Christmas present to my faithful readers. I'm not expecting an awful lot of readers, but after today, who knows? But as I said, I'm not formally posting it, this is just my present to those who have been dying to see what Zero and Liz are up to now. I'm still on vacation, just so you all know, I just decided to post since the holidays are rolling around.**

**Also, this is another of those filler chapters to pass the time and build the plot. It felt to me though, some time ago, that I was losing the original spirit of this fic, so that was the cause of my lack of posting for it. I had to rediscover that spirit, the original point, and now I'm working on it harder than ever… Every so often anyway. Still on vacation, I'm not doing a heck of a lot. Mostly thinking, but I am writing in the meantime. Now, without further ado, the, disclaimer. I haven't done one in a while, so it's time to get back into practice.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon, in this, or any other universe, timeline, or dimension, or any of the subsidiaries. Though I'm quite sure some of you out there are saying I should, I think I'll stick to **_**Fanfiction**_**, thank you very much. And don't bother suing me, I have no money.  
…**

I slowly opened my left eye and smiled as I saw the usual beautiful sight of Liz smiling in her sleep. Once more I was in her arms, and she was in mine. I didn't consider it a truly good morning if I wasn't able to spend a few moments looking at her before she woke up.

'I may have had my problems with Arceus before, but now, all is beyond forgiven.' I thought. 'I'm truly blessed to have you at my side Liz, and I challenge anyone to say different.' She stirred and I closed my eye. It was a little game I liked to play with her. I'd wake up, look at her, and then I'd pretend to be asleep while she 'woke' me with a kiss. After a few seconds, she kissed me, and I opened my eyes to see how close she was. She broke the kiss with a smile. "Good morning beautiful." She giggled.

"Yes it is, handsome." She replied. I smiled wider as we both sat up, untangling for a moment to stretch a little. "So, we're going to look for a Vulpix today." I nodded.

"It'd be best to plan ahead from now on." I said. "I took Erika a little too lightly since we'd beaten Sabrina, and she was supposed to be the worst of them all." She nodded slowly, likely remembering how painful it must have been fighting the Alakazam. "I won't be taking any more challenges lightly from now on, and that means we need to prepare well in advance if we want to hope to challenge the League and make it past the first few rounds."

"Yes, that woman from before, she was very skilled." She said. "If it wasn't for your quick thinking, we would have lost." I smiled.

"It was you in the fight though." I said. "All I do is tell you which attack to use, or when to dodge." She kissed my left cheek and I moved my left arm around her shoulders, prompting her to put her head on mine. "But, we need to find a way to avoid relying on me giving verbal orders. At least, when it comes to _you_ battling." She looked up at me as I thought. "Maybe we can work out some kind of emotional signal for certain attacks. You should always teleport to avoid attacks from now on when you can." She nodded. "So, we'll work out the emotional signals so they won't see our attacks coming so easily, so they won't get so much time to get out of the way."

"Sounds like you're really thinking hard on this." She said. I nodded. "Well, I trust you. All of us trust you with our well being."

"And I trust all of you." I said. "And I know my trust is well placed." I looked at her and she smiled. "So, shall we get ready to start the day?" She nodded and we got off of the bed, heading toward the bathroom as the door opened. She walked in first, but I playfully patted her butt as she walked past, making her giggle and give me a feeling that I knew meant 'you're hopeless'.  
…

I smiled as we approached the area that was supposed to have a fairly large number of Vulpix. It took us a while to get there, but it was worth it. I hadn't heard of the Vulpix in the area before, so that was why I didn't try to catch them before.

"Wow, it's a very beautiful forest." Liz said. I nodded as we walked closer to it. I had Sting and Mawile ready to go, so we were completely prepared. "I'd like to keep going soon, but I wouldn't mind enjoying the scenery for a while."

"Then I suppose we can have a picnic while we're here." I said. She looked at me. I smiled as I met her gaze. She smiled and nodded.

"That would be nice." She said. We looked into the forest and we continued walking together. I kept my thoughts on the task ahead, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was out of place.  
…

After an hour of walking, we made it to a clearing, but we hadn't even heard a Vulpix, or much of anything. I was kneeling and setting up a simple white sheet while Liz pulled out several bags from my pack. Something just didn't feel right though. It was like something was keeping the Pidgey, Spearow, or any other bird Pokémon in the area from making any sound.

"Gene, is something wrong?" Liz asked. I looked at her and then around for a moment.

"It might just be me being paranoid." I said. "But, I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. I haven't heard any noise but our footsteps in the past hour." She looked around.

"I thought I was just worrying for no reason." She said. "But, if you feel it too, then, something must be wrong." I nodded. "So, what do we do?"

"Well, until we know what the problem is, we should just enjoy our picnic." I said. "After all, if we just go walking around trying to find out what's wrong without a clue, then we'll just waste time and energy." She nodded. "We may as well just have our picnic while keeping ready for anything out of place. We should enjoy the peace while it lasts." She nodded and walked over with a bag of her formula and a couple of bags of jerky. The others wanted to rest instead of joining us, and I guessed that they had realized our secret. She sat down and passed me a bag of the jerky, the mesquite barbecue flavor. "Thanks love." She blushed as she opened her formula bag. We ate quietly for a moment before I heard movement. I looked around and smiled. I saw a Pidgeotto landing in a nest. I sighed quietly as I opened my jerky. "I love travelling. It's about as good a life as anyone could ever ask for." She nodded and moved closer to me. "And being with you makes travelling even better." She sighed as she leaned her head on my right shoulder. "If our lives can get much better, it'll be a surprise to me."

"Me too." She said quietly. I inhaled deeply and enjoyed the fresh air. "I love you Gene."

"I love you too Liz." I said quietly. I moved my right arm around her and she sighed. I ate a piece of jerky and I felt another emotional presence. "Do you feel that?" She nodded. It was a calm presence, but cautious.

"Maybe it's a Vulpix." She whispered. I nodded and pulled out a strip of jerky and set it beside me on the sheet. The presence moved closer, slowly. I looked out into the forest and Liz sighed quietly. "This is nice. I feel so happy just being close to you."

"And I'm happy to be here with you." I said. I rubbed her arm and she sighed again. The presence was right next to me and I looked down. It was a Vulpix, and it stared at me. "Hello there." It slowly moved closer and looked at the jerky. It reached forward and pulled it closer. "Don't be afraid of us. We won't hurt you." It looked up at me.

"Yeah, right." It said.

"Really." I said. "We've no interest in hurting anyone."

"You can understand me?" It asked. It was female. I nodded.

"I can." I said. She took the jerky and bit it before backing away. "You can stay and have more of that if you want." She looked at me as I set a few more pieces down. She looked at the pieces and then at my belt.

"You'll try to catch me." She said. I shrugged.

"Only if you want to join us." I said. "I don't see a bad deal though. You come with us, and you get food that tastes good and is very good for you."

"You'll have me battle others." She said. I nodded.

"A tradeoff for travelling, but it's not like anyone is trying to hurt you too badly." I said. "Just enough to stop you from fighting at the time. It's not like anyone you'd fight would be trying to kill you." She started chewing the jerky while Liz looked at her. "You'll also have a lot of friends."

"Like me." Liz said quietly. The Vulpix looked at us as she swallowed the jerky. She reached forward and I pushed the rest toward her slowly. "Gene is a very nice person, and he's as kind as anyone I've ever known." The Vulpix bit a small piece and ate it while I put a piece in my own mouth. "And he's very fun to be around. He's good at finding fun things to do."

"Like what?" Vulpix asked.

"Well, he's got 'connections' to all kinds of places." Liz said. "He's, well, he tends to make jokes, and he even makes training fun."

"What does he do that's so fun?" Vulpix asked.

"Well, I think it's fun to just talk about things that have happened." I said. "I'm good at telling stories." I felt the Vulpix getting calmer and less nervous. "And I happen to run into some very interesting people. Quite frankly, you just can't predict who we're going to meet next."

"Do you travel a lot?" Vulpix asked. I nodded.

"We're travelling all over Kanto." I said. "We're on our way to Fuchsia city next." She stared and grabbed another piece of jerky. "If you want to come along, I don't have any problems. We actually came here to catch a Vulpix, so if you'd like to join us, that'll put us back on our way." She swallowed the jerky and looked at the last piece in front of her.

"Will there be more of this?" She asked. I nodded and put more jerky into a pile.

"It's my favorite kind." I said. She looked at me and then at my belt. I pulled out a ball and set it down. "Just tap the button when you're done eating and we'll be proud to call you our newest friend." She nodded and bit another piece of jerky. We all ate in silence and when we were done, Vulpix licked her lips and tapped the button. The ball shook three times and the button pinged. I pressed the button and she reappeared, all of her tails wagging slowly.

"So what do we do now?" She asked. Liz and I stood up and I put the ball on my belt.

"I guess we head back into town and start walking to Fuchsia." I said.  
…

Liz and I walked along the path with Vulpix and Mawile in tow. Vulpix was talking to Mawile about what we'd been doing for the past few weeks. Liz still had my left arm in her right, as if to make sure I didn't try to leave her. I never would, but I guess she just wanted to be sure. It was a long road ahead, but it was a worthwhile journey. Just the five of us travelling, battling Gym Leaders, collecting badges, and one day we'd try our hand beating the Pokémon League, and maybe even try to fight the Elite Four.

"Stop right there!" A male voice called. We all stopped and we looked to the right. There was a man in a black Team Rocket uniform. There were two others behind him. "Hand over your Pokémon right now!"

"And if I don't?" I asked casually. They all pulled out their Pokéball and threw them. They each had one Pokémon, and they weren't impressive. The leader had a Koffing, like that James guy from a few weeks ago. The one on his left had an Ekans, like Jesse, and that Rocket was female as well. The third, surprisingly, had a Grimer, a purple sludge Pokémon. "That's it? Three poison type Pokémon against Liz, a psychic type, and Mawile, a steel type? You'd best just get along and bother someone else." They all growled as Liz let go of my arm. "Okay then, you asked for this." I looked at Mawile as she walked up to Liz, with Vulpix to her right. "Okay, Mawile, Calm Mind." She nodded while the Rockets began shouting orders. I wasn't paying attention though. "Vulpix, wait for a moment and then use Fire Spin." She nodded as Mawile let out a few deep breaths. I looked at Liz as the trio of Pokémon began using poison based attacks. "Liz, use Confusion to stop their attacks." The Grimer and Koffing both spewed Sludge attacks while the Ekans used Poison Sting. The attacks all stopped at once as the Rockets gasped in fear.

"Hey, stop that!" The leader yelled.

"That's not fair!" The one on the left said.

"That's cheating!" The third yelled.

"Mawile, use Shadow Ball." I said calmly. Mawile charged the attack while I looked at Liz. "Liz, send the poison back at them." She nodded and flung the attacks back, covering the Ekans and Koffing while the needles sank into the Grimer. Mawile fired the Shadow Ball, which hit the Koffing and pushed it back while it tried to shake off the Sludge. The Rockets all yelled attack commands, but Grimer's Sludge was stopped inches from its mouth and thrown back at it. "Okay Vulpix, now." Vulpix let out a loud cry as she loosed the flames from her mouth at the ground, which formed a mini fire tornado that went forward quickly. The Rockets screamed and yelled as it hit Koffing, causing the gas it was constantly releasing to explode, and the Sludge was also flammable, which caused a bigger explosion that flung them into the forest. I heard them recall their Pokémon and one of them yelling that they'd be back. I simply smiled and looked at my friends. "Well, that was fun." Liz giggled while Mawile put her hands behind her head with a smile.

"How often will we meet these people?" Vulpix asked. I shrugged.

"Team Rocket is a bunch of people that steal Pokémon for a living." I said. "I have no idea what they do when they succeed, but I doubt it's good for the Pokémon." Liz walked over to me and took my left arm again. "But I will say that they are very persistent. I know of two members that seem to be very set on something, though I don't know what." I thought about those two, and then I remembered the Meowth. "The two in question travel with a Meowth that somehow learned how to speak like a human."

"Really?" Vulpix and Mawile asked together.

"Yes." I said.

"I've seen this Meowth as well." Liz said. "It was a big surprise when I first saw him, but he was very funny."

"Yeah, and the other two were kind of, odd." I said. "Jesse, James, and Meowth. You know, now that I think about it, the names Jesse and James remind me of a story a man from America once told me."  
…

I sat on the couch in the Pokémon Center while Joy looked over the others, save Liz. She'd learned Recover, and as long as she could focus enough to use it, she was the picture of health. She sat beside me and set her head on my right shoulder while I put my arm around her. Every Nurse Joy knows me thanks to the one in Vermillion. They know by now what Liz means to me, but they're keeping quiet about it. They know it's not right to stop love, no matter who loves who.

"How close are we to Fuchsia?" She asked quietly.

"According to the map, about another day's walk if we don't run into too many people." I replied. She nodded as people walked by, staring at us occasionally. I didn't mind. They didn't bother us, so we just sat and waited for Joy. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine." She said. "I feel happy that we're on our way so fast." I nodded. Thanks to getting Vulpix to join us so easily, we had managed to get back on track in just under a day. I was still somewhat worried about her though. She hadn't been acting completely like herself. She seemed a little, off, but I couldn't explain it. She seemed a little bit calmer, but also less enthusiastic about battling. "What will we do for tonight?"

"That's up to you." I said. "We can stay here in a room, or we can try to get closer to Fuchsia and set up camp later." She sighed quietly and looked up at me.

"I really want to keep going, but, I'm a little tired." She said quietly. "I think I'd rather a bed tonight." I nodded.

"I'll let Nurse Joy know." I said quietly. She nodded but didn't move her head from my shoulder. People watched us, but they didn't bother me. We stayed put for twenty minutes and four others shared the room with us. One man stared openly while three young trainers, two girls and a boy, watched in a manner that they thought was stealthy. They kept peeking out from behind magazines or their various reading materials or Pokédexes. I stood up with Liz when Joy was bringing our Pokémon out. We walked over together and she held out a room key. "Thank you." I took it and she nodded.

"I figured you'd be tired after coming here from Celadon." She said. I nodded as I put the Pokéball on my belt. "Pleasant dreams."  
…

I set my back on the bed with a quiet groan from the springs of the mattress. That was what I didn't like about the beds of the Pokémon Centers. Because they were funded by the League, but they only got enough for the basic necessities when it came to beds and bathrooms. That meant that I wasn't going to be able to get very comfortable, and Liz wouldn't be much better off. She moved onto the bed next to me slowly, but she quickly moved to her personal place with her head resting next to mine, her right hand on my chest, and my right arm around her.

"I hope we can stay together for the rest of our lives." She said quietly.

"We will." I said. "Even if someone finds out about us and reports what we've done to the police, there's not one person that will be able to keep us from each other. I'll do whatever it takes to stay at your side." She smiled and I kissed her forehead. "I love you too much to let anything take you away from me."

"Thank you." She said softly. She moved her right hand down slightly and I looked into her eyes. "I wish we had a little bit more privacy. It feels like ages since we've, you know." I smirked as she moved her hand to my chest again. "I'm too loud for this place, and, since you're the only one who understands what I'm saying, everyone here would know."

"Well, maybe we can find a way." I said. "Maybe someday we can find a way for you to speak like me, and then I won't need the translator to understand you." She giggled quietly.

"Like that Meowth?" She asked. I nodded.

"Except you're voice is much easier on the ears." I said. She laughed quietly for a moment, but she stared into my eyes before kissing me.

Thankfully the door was locked, so nobody would be able to get in quickly. Sadly, the room had four beds, so if enough people arrived, we'd have to share it. That would make a kiss far too risky to get away with, and anything else would be impossible to even try. She ended the kiss and I stared into her beautiful eyes for what felt like hours. I began moving my lips to hers, my left hand moving to her face, but I was stopped by a key being inserted into the lock. I mentally groaned and looked over as Liz moved a short distance away from me. A young girl opened the door and walked in. She looked around while Liz slowly moved the blanket over us. I kept my jacket on, along with my gloves and sunglasses. My hat was resting on a peg on the door. I mentally cursed as she looked at us.

"Oh, hi." She said.

"Hello." I replied calmly. Liz moved the blanket over me as well and she put her head on her pillow. I felt a great deal of sadness and annoyance from her, and I felt the same way. The girl closed the door and locked it. "Busy night?"

"Yeah, a lot of trainers are coming from or going to Celadon." She said. "I'm the last one for the night hopefully." She walked over to our bunk and climbed to the top one.

'Well, maybe we can get away with a little bit.' I thought. 'A quick kiss or two.' Liz looked over at me as I looked at her. "So, how's the weather looking? I heard there was going to be rain by now."

"I heard that too, but so far it's clear." She said. "But odds are it'll rain tomorrow and a lot of us will end up stuck here." She looked down from her bunk and her long black hair fell down behind her. "So, where are you two headed?" She looked at Liz. "Hey, that's not a human." Liz giggled while I let a short laugh.

"No." I affirmed. "This is Liz, a Gardevoir from Hoenn." Liz nodded while the girl blinked.

"You named her?" She asked. I nodded.

"She's my best friend." I said. "She's been with me since we started our journey."

"How long ago was that?" She asked.

"A bit over a month ago." I said.

"Really?" She asked. "But, you're, like eighteen aren't you?" I rubbed the back of my head with my left hand and laughed quietly.

"Uh, no, not eighteen." I said. "I'm twenty. But, I wanted to start my journey with a Pokémon called Ralts, the earliest form of the Gardevoir line. I caught Liz over a month ago, and she's since evolved into the lovely dancer she is now." I felt a bit of embarrassment from Liz, but also a bit of joy.

"She dances?" The girl asked. I shrugged.

"I haven't seen her do so yet, but she's sure got the figure, and the dress." I said. I looked at Liz as she blushed and put her hands to her cheeks.

"Yeah, she does look beautiful." The girl said. "And she does have a nice dress. But, why did you put the dress on her?" I laughed again. "What?"

"You've never been outside of Kanto." I said. She nodded and I pulled my Pokédex out of my pocket and opened it. "Gardevoir always have a dress like this, male or female." I turned to the page and it had a picture of a regular Gardevoir. "One moment please." I turned to Liz. "Liz, could you stand up over there?" I gestured to a spot and she looked at me.

"Why?" She asked.

"I'd like to take a picture for the Pokédex entry." I replied. "This has just a regular male Gardevoir. I'd like a picture of my best friend to grace this data." She giggled and got up.

"Okay." She said. "But don't think I'll pose nude."

"I'd never ask you to do that for the Pokédex." I said. She giggled.

"Maybe a, private picture?" She asked. "Just for us? Or, maybe of us?" I smiled as she took a calm pose, her hands held together in front of her with a smile.

"Why are you talking like that?" The girl asked. "You act like you know what she's actually saying." I tapped the earring in my left ear as I lined up the lens with Liz.

"These earrings are the latest tech from Silph." I said. "They translate Pokémon speech for me to understand normally. While you hear Liz saying 'Gardevoir' repeatedly, I hear every word she's actually saying."

"Wow." She said. "Where can I get a pair?"

"They aren't on sale yet." I said. "I'm a beta tester of sorts. This is the trial pair, though they hope to get them mass produced in a few months or so."

"That's so cool." She said. I took the picture and overwrote the data for the regular Gardevoir while Liz crawled back into the bed next to me. I turned the data to her and she took the Dex. "Wow. She can sense your emotions?"

"And I can sense hers." I said. "A Ralts can feel any emotion within a certain range, and the evolved form, Kirlia, can sense these feelings further out. Gardevoir can sense the same, though they focus more on their trainer and friends. To this end, the bond between Liz and myself is so strong, I can feel her emotions almost as if they are my own."

"That's so cool." She said. "How strong is she?"

"She took on Sabrina's Alakazam and won." I said. She stared and nearly dropped the Pokédex, but I caught it just as she let go of it.

"No way." She said. I nodded. "Then, you, you're?"

"Gene 'Zero' Alastor." I said.

"Wow, you're like, the richest man on the face of the Earth." She said reverently. I rubbed the back of my head and smiled.

"Well, I do okay." I said.

"Wow, I get to share a room with _the_ Zero Alastor." She said quietly. She let out a quiet squeal. "My friends are never going to believe this."

"Well, if you want, we can get a group photo, and I'll sign it for you." I said. She gasped. "Seriously. In the morning I'll ask Nurse Joy to take a picture of you standing next to me and Liz, and I'll sign it for you to show off." She smiled widely and nodded.

"Thank you." She said.

"It's no problem." I said quietly. "It's always nice to meet new people, and it's even better to make new friends." Liz giggled while the girl disappeared.

"Well, I've kept you up long enough." She said. "Good night."

"Good night." I said.

"You're like a celebrity." Liz whispered. I set my head against my pillow and put the Dex away.

"It's something of a problem these days." I replied quietly. "I'm a nice guy, and people can't help but want to treat me like I'm some kind of movie star. I just want to be a normal guy." She sighed and moved over me again.

"But you aren't." She whispered. "You're, my mate, just as I am yours."


	15. Noticing some changes

**Here we are, at chapter fifteen. A fair bit of filler a quick fight. I'd like to thank DragonLord Seth for helping me with spotting errors and mistakes throughout this whole story.**

**I'm glad to know that so many of you appreciate the effort I went through to bring you this. I'm working hard, and I'm sorry I'm late with this. I take time trying to make sure that each chapter is as good as it can get.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. To the same extent, DragonLord Seth does not own the rights to Pokémon either.  
…**

I stretched as I looked out the window. It was raining, but it was barely a drizzle. Liz was getting the others while I put my hands in my pockets. There were a lot of other trainers that felt that the weather was going to get worse, but I knew more about weather than they did. Ten years looking for a Ralts, I had endured all kinds of weather. This had the benefit of teaching me how to read weather better than most machines could. The trainers and the news said it was going to turn into a big storm, but looking at the clouds I saw that it wasn't going to get too much worse. I was rarely wrong, and I doubted I would be this time.

"How does it look?" Liz asked from behind me.

"Not too bad." I said. "You may have to use a bit of your power to form a bubble we can walk in." She handed me the Pokéball and I put them on my belt.

"So we're still going?" She asked. I nodded. "When do we leave?"

"Are you ready to go?" I asked. She nodded and took my right arm. I'd given the girl my autograph. The photo was of her standing next to me flashing the peace sign while I had my hands in my pockets, a big smile on my face, and Liz to my left wearing my hat with a smile of her own. We walked toward the doors as everyone watched. As we stepped outside she formed a bubble of psychic power around us and the rain was completely deflected. "If only technology could create shields like this." She giggled as we walked down the road. I pulled out my small travel book and turned to the page with my own psychic power. "So, according to the map, we've got about a three day walk, but there's a place where we can rent a bike along the way. That'll cut the trip down to about ten hours at a good pace." She nodded. "What do you say to a little bike ride?" She smiled and set her head on my shoulder as we walked down the path.

"That sounds nice." She said quietly. I nodded. "I'm glad we get to be together. I don't think I could have been this happy with any other trainer."

"And I wouldn't be this happy with any other Gardevoir." I said. "I've got you, and you've got me. All things considered, our lives couldn't be much better than this." She nodded and I felt more joy from her than usual. I thought of a few good things from the past few weeks and she sighed quietly.

"Do you think, that, we'll be able to, kiss in public, someday?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." I said. "One day we can show the world exactly how we feel for each other. And when that day comes, soon one will follow where I can marry you." She sighed again.

"I can hardly wait." She said. "I wish that day was tomorrow." I nodded and she held herself closer to me.  
…

I pedaled slowly, drifting mostly, while Liz held the bars in front of me. She was scared at first, and she was still nervous. She sat directly in front of me, between my arms, and she seemed all but terrified of the other bikers. We received more than a few stares, but nobody could see us for too long. I looked ahead and saw the sign that told us how close we were.

"Don't worry Liz, we're almost there." I said. She nodded and held the bars tighter. "Two more miles and we can walk." She nodded and lowered her body slightly.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't realize that these were so fast. I thought a bike was, like those, car things. I didn't realize that this thing would be so small and, thin." I smiled and used my power to make it feel like I was hugging her.

"I've got you." I said. "I won't let you get hurt." I pedaled a bit and she seemed to calm down slightly. "You know I won't let anything bad happen to you." She nodded again and I stopped pedaling, letting the bike drift. I smiled and lowered my body to hers slightly, looking like I was trying to streamline us, and I lowered my voice to a whisper. "One good thing about this bike." She looked back at me. "We get to be this close the whole ride." She smiled slightly. "I'd call that a good thing about it." She nodded and looked ahead as I pedaled for a few seconds. A man on a motorcycle flew past us and I looked at him as he turned and skidded to a halt ahead of us. I slowed down and put my feet on the ground as I sat up straight. He wasn't wearing a helmet, but he wore a biker jacket with several patches. He had a big beard, making him look kind of like a walrus, and he was bald. His skin had a deep tan and a pair of fingerless gloves, kind of like mine, and a pair of boots that looked to have steel toes.

"You know, it isn't safe to ride a bicycle on this stretch of road." He said loudly. "You should think about getting a real bike."

"With gas prices the way they are these days?" I asked. He laughed and stepped off his bike, putting the kickstand down and pulling a Pokéball from behind him. I stepped off the bike with Liz, and I put the stand down on it as well.

"You usin' that little thing by you?" He asked sarcastically. Liz stepped forward and nodded. "Oh, _she's_ challenging me. Okay then little gal, get ready." He opened the ball and smiled. "Alright Zam, let's go." As the light took form, I grimaced. It was an Alakazam, with a black headband and his moustache was painted black as well. He even had a pair of black sunglasses.

"A psychic biker?" I asked. They both nodded. "Well then, I suppose you'll let Zam fight on his own?" They nodded again. "Okay then." I set my right hand on Liz's back and she looked at me. "You're sure about this?" She nodded and smiled. "Don't burn yourself out again. The Center is a lot farther away this time. A mile and a half, and I don't think I can teleport there just yet." She nodded again and looked at Zam. She stepped forward, as did her opponent. "So, how did you catch Zam? Most times an Abra will just teleport away from anyone they feel threatened by." Liz and Zam began staring each other down while the Biker crossed his arms.

"I caught Zam about four years ago, back when I didn't know about my gift." He said. "He was sleepin' in a tree and I thought that it'd be nice having someone to keep me company, even if I couldn't understand what he said. So I toss the ball before he can run, and I catch him right away."

"Lucky." I said. He nodded as Liz teleported to dodge a Psybeam. She was either a bit tired, or she was being a little arrogant. Either way, something seemed off with her timing.

"Yeah, and about two months after I catch him, I get in an accident." He said. "Zam was still just an Abra back then. But his ball opened and it rolled into my hand as he looked around. He spots me as I grab the ball, and he runs to my side and teleports us to the Pokémon Center before I can say anything. Nurse Joy called in a few friends and got me patched up, but Zam was kinda down." He smiled slightly while Liz and Zam dodged various attacks from each other by teleporting. "But I told him that he saved my life, and that I was in his debt. That night he evolved. Two weeks later, I discover I got these psychic powers, which was how his Pokéball opened that night." He laughed as Zam dodged a Shadow Ball, though his laughter stopped as she teleported in and hit him with another one, point blank. "Shrug it off Zam, you can do it partner." He looked at me. "So anyway, he evolves a few years later, and since then he's been my best fighter, and my best friend." Liz narrowly dodged a Hyper Beam and moved behind Zam. "Oh geeze." He grimaced as she hit Zam with a Dark Pulse, followed by a Shadow Ball. He went down and the biker groaned. "Dang." He walked over to Zam with a small crystal, a Revive, and put it to Zam's back. The crystal shattered and Zam groaned and slowly looked up at him. "Don't worry pal, she is one tough cookie." They looked at us as they stood up. "So, what's your story? How'd you meet up with this little fightin' angel?" Liz giggled while she stepped up to me.

"It's a long story." I said. He shrugged. "Okay, if you want to hear it." He laughed while Zam chuckled. "I met Liz a little over a month and a half ago, but I'd been looking for her for over ten years. I wanted my very first Pokémon to be a Ralts, her first form, and it took me that long to find just her." He nodded and sat against his bike while other bikers rode or drove past us. "One night, during a rainstorm, she wanders into my tent, and the next morning I caught her."

"Wow, that was a long story." He said sarcastically.

"It's not over just yet." I said. "I came here from Hoenn because the Gym Leaders there are a cut above the ones here. And even the ones here are a challenge as is. So, we come here, get a Pokédex, and then start travelling." They nodded. "We get the first badge from Pewter and Liz evolved into a Kirlia. We go through to Cerulean, getting the Cascade Badge, and then onto Vermillion where she evolved into the lovely Gardevoir she is now."

"Wow." He said.

"Yeah, and then we went to Saffron and challenged Sabrina." I said. "That one, did not go well."

"I know." He said. "I faced her once, and that was enough. Zam is strong, but her Alakazam is a real piece of work. She doesn't know to hold back."

"I hear that." I said. "She really hurt Liz, and it took a week and a half to get back on track." She set her head on my shoulder. "Since then, we're a lot closer." I set my arm around her shoulders and the biker laughed quietly. "I'm not going to complain though. My shoulder is always warm now." He laughed a bit louder while Zam chuckled quietly. "So, after we got on our way again, we went to Celadon and fought Erika, where Liz decided to sit out. I just barely won with the help of my Beedrill, Sting, and my Mawile. Now we intend to get to Fuchsia to fight Koga."

"Well, sounds like you two have been through a lot in less than a year." He said.

"But you seem more than just friends." Zam said.

"Well, yeah, we are more than friends Zam." I said. They looked at each other and then at me.

"You understood him?" The biker asked.

"Yes." I said. "My name is Gene Alastor, though everyone calls me Zero." I tapped my left earring. "These earrings are the prototype Pokémon Translators from Silph Co." He pointed at me. "Yes, I'm _that_ Zero Alastor."

"Wow." He said. "No wonder she's so strong. The man with more money than Arceus is her trainer." I laughed quietly and rubbed the back of my head.

"Well, I'm just a guy." I said. "The money, is just there to help me get by."  
…

We pulled into the rental shop and I collapsed the bike and handed it to the attendant before we headed off to decide which hotel we'd stay at. There weren't that many, but the one luxury hotel was the one we decided on. They allowed Pokémon to stay in the rooms, so it was perfect. I left the others in the Center and took Liz up to our room on the tenth floor.

"Wow, this is a lovely room." She said quietly. "But then, you always find the nicest places." I smiled as we walked into the main area of the room.

"Only the best for you." I said. She giggled as I closed the door. She walked over to the couch and I teleported to sit by her just as she sat down. She leaned over to me and I moved my arm around her. She moved my sunglasses from my face to the coffee table in front of us.

"So, we're going to take on Koga tomorrow?" She asked.

"No." I said. "I'd like to take a week to train and get ready. We need to be certain of our victory. This time you, Mawile, and perhaps even Vulpix will be the ones to fight." She nodded. "I read that Koga, the Gym Leader, has a few poison types, and a Venomoth to boot. That one is going to be difficult to knock out, but I suspect you and Vulpix should handle that one. A Weezing may be part of his team, so you or Mawile are the best to go against him." She nodded again, sighing quietly. "It'll be a heck of a battle, there's no two ways about that. I know you can handle them, but we need everyone to be ready. Sting, he'll have the most trouble since bug types are weak to poison, and though he is half poison, his strongest attacks are bug type."

"So, it would be best if Mawile, Vulpix, and I were the only ones involved." She said quietly.

"Well, we could also check the Safari Zone." I said. "There are plenty of Pokémon there, of many types. A Rhyhorn would be great here, and we might find any number of helpful Pokémon. I've also read up on our next challenge, some distance from here on Cinnabar Island." She nodded. "His name is Blain, and he is well known for his use of Fire types."

"So a water type would be helpful." She said.

"Or rock types." I added. "Even ground types. Even just the moves themselves. But Garth might not be so helpful there since the gym itself doesn't have a pool." I thought about that for a moment.

"What is it?" She asked.

"How many gyms _could_ Garth even fight in?" I asked. "The Cerulean Gym was the one place Garth could fight. That strikes me as odd that only a single Gym could allow anyone to use even a few water Pokémon effectively." She nodded.

"That is strange." She said. "I hadn't thought of that before."

"Well, the Pokémon League has many places to battle." I said. "Giant pools and the like are perfect for him, but we should probably try for a few other water types to handle Blaine. I read that he may well have a Magmar, and they happen to be some of the nastiest contenders as far as fire types go. He won't evolve it, or he doesn't know they can evolve, but it'll still be a difficult fight if we're not prepared." She nodded and sighed. "But, that's for later. For now, let's just enjoy some time to rest." She rubbed her head against my shoulder and I smiled.

"Did you check to see how many people were on this floor?" She asked. I smiled and rubbed her arm.

"We're all alone up here." I said. "And the floors are thick enough to dampen any noises we could make." She giggled quietly. She was feeling a little playful, and I felt her set her right hand on my lap.

"How do we get such good luck to have whole floors to ourselves?" She asked.

"These hotels are expensive, so not many trainers can afford to stay the night." I replied. She sighed and looked up at me with a smile. "I know that look."

"Please?" She asked sweetly. I went to kiss her when my cell phone started ringing. I groaned as she sighed. I pulled it out and looked at it. It was a number I didn't know. "Who is it?"

"No idea." I said. "But, I think I should see who it is. It could be important." I opened the phone as she set her head on my shoulder again. "Hello."

"Gene, hi!" An excited voice said.

"Gardenia?" I said. "Well, this _is_ a surprise." She giggled and Liz looked up at me. "It's good to hear from you, but, how did you get my number?"

"I met a friend of yours, Elle." She replied. "We got to talking, and, I think she has a crush on you. Did you know about that?" I laughed quietly.

"Not one person who knows her doesn't know how she feels about me." I replied.

"Yeah, she isn't good at hiding that." She said with a giggle. "So, where are you right now?"

"I'm in Fuchsia at a hotel." I said. "I'll take a week to train my friends, and then we fight Koga."

"Ooh, he's a tough one." She said. "He's got some very strong bugs and poison types. Don't use any grass types against him, because he'll destroy them."

"I won't." I said. "I have Liz and I recently caught a Vulpix. Along with Mawile, we should be more than able to handle anything Koga can throw our way. I just want to make sure everyone is ready and able."

"Is Liz there right now?" She asked.

"She is." I replied.

"How is she doing?" She asked. "She looked kind of, strange last time. She didn't seem to want to battle when you asked her."

"She's fine." I said. I rubbed her arm and she giggled.

"Good." Gardenia said. "I was kind of worried."

"I'll be fine." Liz said quietly.

"She says she'll be fine." I said.

"Hey Liz." She replied.

"Gardenia says hi." I said. Liz giggled and began rubbing my leg slowly.

"Well, I just wanted to see how you're doing." Gardenia said. "I'll be by in a couple of days. I keep hearing that a storm is coming and I don't want to put Tangela in danger. Bye."

"Bye Gardenia." I said. "I'll keep an eye out for you." She giggled as she turned her phone off. I closed mine as Liz sighed again. "You know, just to keep anyone else from bothering us." I opened it again and turned it off. "That takes care of that." I put it in my pocket and looked at Liz as she smiled. "So, where were we?" We leaned closer and our lips met. It was still as wonderful as the very first time she kissed me. The only difference was that she was able to walk, and she was a lot stronger than before. But a thought managed to surface that bothered me. Gardenia was right. Liz was acting a little different. I couldn't place it though. I pushed the thought aside and moved my free hand to her leg and I slowly moved her dress aside. She ended the kiss and we stared into each other's eyes, smiling.

"I love you." She said quietly.

"I love you too Liz." I said.


	16. Some forward planning

**Chapter sixteen of The Man with a Gallade's Arm, brought to you by Lord Genesis Shadow, and my trusted associate DragonLord Seth. This chapter, like the recent chapter for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Jack's Journey, is primarily filler and a bit of plot development. The next chapter should be more action oriented.**

**Now, as with Jack's Journey, I'll need time because I've got five requests, the max I'll have up at a time to let you know what I'm working on at a time. I only work on one at a time, so I can keep my focus and not accidentally crossover a character from the wrong request that's not supposed to be there.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon, and probably won't for a long time.  
…**

Liz sat beside me as the others trained in the field. Tomorrow we were going to the Gym, and she was going to sit back for the first battle, which would go to Mawile. Steel types were completely immune to poison attacks, and Mawile was getting stronger with each passing day. Vulpix was likewise becoming stronger, though we focused on her ranged attacks. I decided it couldn't hurt to take a somewhat Contest style approach, dodging carefully while trying to modify the way the attacks were used. Liz had worked out what specific emotion I would use to tell her what to do, but I decided that she would use whatever move she wanted to. That way it would be more difficult for the other trainer to issue a command to dodge or to defend. I would merely make a suggestion, and I would leave it up to her what she did.

"I hope we can win." She said quietly. I nodded as Mawile and Vulpix dodged Sting's attacks. He was going all out to try to help them get faster and better at avoiding attacks. Each different move Sting launched was dodged effortlessly by Vulpix, but Mawile wasn't quite as agile. She took to dodging by rolling or backpedalling while Vulpix jumped over most attacks or ducked and rolled under or away. "Gene?" I looked at her as she looked up at me. "Where do we go after this Gym?"

"Next on the list is Cinnabar Island." I said. "The Gym there houses Fire types, and the Gym Leader, Blaine, is rumored to have a Magmar. They can get pretty dangerous, so we may end up relying on catching a Water type soon. Garth is strong, but he's not that fast outside of the water. He'd end up being burned pretty badly due to his lack of speed." She nodded slowly. "Water, Ground, and Rock types have it best against Fire types, while Steel, Bug, Grass, and Ice aren't really that well off." She nodded again. "You could defend against the flames by forming a strong enough barrier around yourself, and you'd definitely be safe."

"But I don't think I could handle the whole Gym on my own." She said quietly. I nodded.

"Which is why we'll try to get some another Water type." I said. "Maybe even a Rock or ground type. After all, there just so happens to be a volcano, so we could easily get a rock or ground type along the way." She nodded and smiled slightly. She set her head on my shoulder and I moved my arm around her as Mawile and Vulpix dodged the last of Sting's attacks. Sting landed and stretched before walking over to his lunch, as did the others. I had trained Liz personally a few hours before the others. She wanted to focus on her barriers, so we started with my using my psychic powers to throw small rocks at her from random directions, often using the same rock to hit repeatedly, even from behind. After the third day, she could protect herself from a full three hundred and sixty degrees, so we started using stronger and stronger attacks. That morning I used my Psycho Cut attack to send the blades at her directly. The barrier she erected held off my attacks like they were nothing, but I was holding back over half of the power I was gaining. "So, what should we do with the rest of our day? It seems like the others are ready, and I know you're ready for the Gym. That leaves, pretty much not a lot to do for the rest of the day." She sighed quietly.

"What about the Safari Zone?" She asked. I looked over to the building that led into the protected reserve. Any trainer who could pay could go in and catch Pokémon with specially designed Safari Balls, and they would be provided with bait, but they couldn't use their own Pokémon to do the catching. "I'm sure we could find a good water Pokémon there. Maybe even a Psyduck, or a Golduck." I put my right hand to my chin.

"Psyduck and Golduck are incredibly powerful." I said. "They'd have a great advantage over any of Blaine's Pokémon." I nodded. "Sounds like a plan. A little walk in the field, find a good water place and then we look for Psyduck and Golduck." She nodded and we stood up. "But, I don't know if they'd allow you in there, even if I gave my word that you wouldn't attack any Pokémon unless you were protecting me."

"I'm sure we can convince them." She said quietly. I smiled.

"Okay, but if they won't let you in, I won't go alone." I said. "After all, it wouldn't be any fun without a friend." She giggled as we walked toward the building. The doors slid open and the people inside watched us walk in. "Wow, nice reception area." She nodded and looked around as we walked up to the front desk.

"Good day sir, will you be going into the Safari Zone?" The girl at the desk asked.

"Well, that kind of depends." I said. "You see, I don't feel safe without my partner at my side, and I don't have good luck with Tauros. They see me and they have a tendency to charge."

"Well, we can't exactly let her in with you sir." She said. "It would be against the rules and regulations of the park."

"What if I swore on my life that she'd only attack if she was protecting me?" I asked. She looked at Liz for a moment.

"Well, if you have one of our officials with you…" She started. "Can you excuse me for a moment while I check with my boss?" I nodded and she walked over to the office at the other side of the room.

"I hope we can go in." I said. "I'm sure we could enjoy a nice relaxing walk. And goodness knows it would be kind of nice seeing what kinds of Pokémon are inside." She nodded.

"But what if they don't let us in?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Well, we can find something else to do, I'm sure." I said. She slowly rubbed my hand and I looked at her.

"Maybe, something involving our room?" She asked quietly. I smirked. "Not, not just that. I meant, like just sitting and enjoying some peace and quiet." I nodded.

"That'd be nice." I said quietly. She smiled as the girl walked back over.

"I'm sorry, but my boss wants to know what type your partner is." She said.

"Liz is a Gardevoir, a psychic type from the Hoenn region." I replied. She winced.

"Well, the thing is, a few weeks ago some strange group showed up." She said. "They brought this strange Pokémon I've never seen before, and it used these incredible powers to let the group catch a lot of our wild Pokémon. Because of that, we don't allow people to take in psychic Pokémon, or Pokémon that can learn Psychic attacks. To that end, we've installed a lock on the Safari Balls that keeps people from using their newly caught Pokémon. Sorry."

"It's okay." I said. She smiled slightly and I tipped my hat. "Have a nice day."

"You too, sir." She said kindly.  
…

I settled onto the bed and sighed quietly. Liz moved next to me and set her arm over my chest. I moved my arm under her and pulled her closer, making her laugh quietly.

"So, what should we do with the rest of the day?" I asked quietly. "I'm all for taking a break, but I don't want to just sit here all day." She set her head on my shoulder.

"I wish I could think of something to do." She said. "Well, something apart from, you know." I chuckled and looked at her. I kissed her forehead and she smiled, closing her eyes slightly.

"I guess we'll have to think of something." I said. "Too bad there's no contests going on, or maybe we could go watch one." She opened her eyes and sighed quietly. "What is it?"

"It's nothing." She said. "I'm just feeling a little tired." I rubbed her arm. "I'm fine. It's probably nothing."

"Well, if you start feeling out of sorts, let me know." I said. "I'm sure all of our constant training probably took a bit of a toll on you." I put my free hand to my forehead. "It sure did a number on me." She snickered. "Hey, you're used to having psychic powers. I'm new at this. I've had this power for just a few days less than I've known you. I'm still getting the hang of being, whatever I've become."

"Besides being my mate?" She asked. I smiled.

"Now that, I'm having a great time with." I said. I looked at her. "I mean, what more could I ask for? I've got a good thing going being your mate. After all, I have you to walk beside me, you let me keep you warm at night, and I now have a secret that I'm never going to be ashamed of." She stared into my eyes, through the sunglasses. "One day, you and I will be able to share a kiss in the open, and not one person will be able to tell us to stop." I smirked. "Well, they can tell us, but we don't have to listen to that guy." She giggled. "Or, that, lady." She snickered and I shrugged. "Point is, they can tell us that what we're doing is wrong, that what we're doing is a bad thing, but I know that they're dead wrong. I love you, and there's nothing wrong with that." She sighed quietly and closed her eyes.

"One day, I'll be your wife." She said. "I'm so happy to be with you now, but, when we can get married, I don't think that anything in the world could make me happier." I smiled wider and kissed her forehead again. "What is it like? A wedding." I thought about it for a moment.

"Well, a wedding is just a ceremony." I said. "Each one is different in some way, depending on the persons getting married. But, a normal wedding, the groom, that would be me in our case, wears a black tuxedo. He has several men with him, and one person, usually his best friend, is called the best man." She nodded slowly. "The bride comes in and her father walks her up the aisle of the church, all the way up to the groom to give his daughter away. The priest says a few words, and the bride and groom promise to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of their lives, and then they place a ring on each other's fingers. After that, they kiss to make the union official." She smiled. "But the wedding itself has several other parts to it. There's the reception, which has a beautiful wedding cake that the bride and groom cut together." She giggled. "What?"

"Well, your arm." She said. I looked at my right arm for a moment and smirked.

"Yeah, I have the right equipment, but I think we should use the provided knife." I said. She giggled again. "Anyway, we would each put one hand on the knife and we would cut the first slices of the cake. A little tradition is for me to take a small piece of the cake and put it in your mouth." She blushed. "And then you would do the same for me. Sometimes though, the bride or groom thinks it funny to put the cake on the face of the other." She snickered. "I wouldn't do that to you. First off, it's a waste of good food. Second, I wouldn't want to do anything to make this beautiful Gardevoir feel embarrassed." I smirked as she opened her eyes. "Though there is another tradition I rather like."

"What tradition is it?" She asked.

"Well, it's traditional for the bride and groom to dance." I said. She smiled. "Sometimes the father will dance with his daughter as well." She blushed slightly. "You would dance with your father, and I would dance with your mother." She giggled. "Yeah, awkward at first, but then I would twirl your mother over to your father, and he would send you over to me. You know, I don't think we've danced together yet." I looked at her. "Maybe I can get a CD player, and find some music you like that we could dance to. What do you think?" She smiled wider and nodded.

"I'd like that." She said. "I'd like that a lot." I smiled and kissed her. If there was anything in the world that would be better than kissing her, it would be making love to her. But everything that I thought was perfect involved her, for the rest of my life. When I ended the kiss, she had a slight blush. "You know, I think I've got a bit of my energy back." She moved her hand slowly to the button on my jeans. "The hotel _is_ empty right now, except for us and the receptionist." She undid the button and I smiled, rubbing her shoulder slowly.

"This is true." I said. She smiled a bit more. "And I do think that you've earned a reward for how hard you've worked on your psychic barrier." She smiled and slowly unzipped my pants. We didn't have the blanket on us, but it was a bit warm for that anyway, and we were about to get warmer. I heard the door lock, and I moved my hand to her side, lifting part of the dress away from her just enough to reach her inner thigh. "All the hard work you've been doing lately, and I don't think I've given you any proper encouragement." She kissed me and I began slowly rubbing her soft skin. She began rubbing me slowly while I moved to her most sensitive place. She moaned quietly while I groaned in appreciation of her light touch. Our tongues met and I slowly rubbed her lower lips, eliciting another moan from her. She ended the kiss and I smiled wider. All I wore were my pants and shirt, though my sunglasses were on for the sake of being on. I moved my other hand to her face and she smiled wider as she continued stroking me, and I continued rubbing her. "So, what kind of reward is my lovely Gardevoir thinking of today?" She giggled and I suddenly felt a bit cooler. She moved her hand from me and moved it up my stomach slowly.

"May I choose my reward?" She asked. I smiled and slowly stopped rubbing her, making my sunglasses float over to the bedside table.

"Of course." I said quietly. She moved over me and kissed me again as I used my powers to close the windows and blinds. I felt tantalizingly close to her womanhood and part of my brain was begging me to continue, but I would let her set the pace this time. She ended the kiss and sighed happily. "I love you Liz."

"I love you Gene." She whispered. I gently set my hands on her hips and she slowly pulled me into her warmth. She moaned and whimpered quietly. "It's been a while." I moved my arms around her back and carefully began massaging her spike. She shivered as I slowly moved deeper within her.

"It has." I said. She moved her hips slowly, moaning quietly while I kissed her neck.

"Gene, do you think, that it might be…" She started. She moved back slightly and looked into my eyes for a moment before looking away slightly. "N, never mind."

"What is it?" I asked. She continued moving, but she was silent. "Liz, are you okay?" She looked at me.

"Do, you think it might be possible, for us to have, a child, someday?" She asked. I blinked.

"W, well, I'm not sure." I said. "I mean, since it is, illegal for us to, well, do what we're doing right now, there haven't been any tests done to see if a human can get a Pokémon pregnant." She nodded with a small frown. "But, who can say what is and is not possible? Maybe, one day we can start a family." She smiled slightly with a few tears forming in her eyes. I reached up to her face and gently placed my hand on her cheek. "We can find a way Liz, I promise." She smiled wider and leaned forward to kiss me. The joy I felt in her heart and mine felt like they were one and the same. I couldn't have been happier, but now I was honestly wondering what was happening with her. She didn't seem like herself. I'd have to take her to the Pokémon Center later. She moaned into my mouth and I moved my hands back to the spike, making her moan a bit louder. She ended the kiss and moved faster, sparking more pleasure for both of us.

"Gene, I, I love you so much." She whispered. I kissed her cheek and moved my lips near her ear.

"I love you Liz." I whispered. "I always will. You are my one and only, now and forever." She whimpered and moved her arms around my neck. I felt tears of joy on my shoulder and I kissed her neck lightly. She moved faster still, and I moved my hands to her hips. I moved to match her rhythm and she began crying out quietly. "Are you close love?" She nodded weakly and I kissed her neck again. She moved back slightly, arching her back, so I leaned forward and gently moved my lips to her spike, making her moan louder than usual.

"Gene!" She said breathlessly. I felt the edge approaching so I slowly kissed the spike, making her spasm around me, hugging me tightly. "Oh, oh Gene, I, I'm…" I leaned up and kissed her as she moaned louder than usual. I climaxed inside her again, feeling wonderful for the chance to show her how much I love her, to give her more of my love. She bucked her hips a few times and I held her close to me, rubbing the spike with my fingers slowly. She ended the kiss and panted quietly while I smiled. "Oh Gene, that, that was, wonderful." I kissed her neck and smiled wider as I caught my breath.

"Anytime love." I said quietly. "Anytime." She giggled quietly as I closed my eyes slowly. "I love making you feel good. Especially when I get to be this, close, to you." She sighed and set her head on my chest while I moved my hands just below the spike. I rubbed her back and she looked up at me.

"Do you really, want to start a family?" She asked.

"If you want to, then I'm willing to do whatever it takes." I said quietly. She smiled. "But, to start a family, we'd have to put off our traveling for a long time, as well as the league."

"What do you think our kids would look like?" She asked. "I, I'm not sure a Ralts wouldn't be born. I wonder if, if there would even be, an egg. I heard that, human women just, give birth to the child after, nine months?" I nodded. "What if the child looked human, but, like a Ralts, or a Gardevoir?"

"I don't know." I said quietly. "But, if we have any children, then I'm sure we'll have to keep them secret until the laws making our love illegal are overturned and erased." She nodded slowly. "But I promise Liz, if there is a way for us to have children, you know I'd do anything to make it happen." She smiled wider. "I'm still young, but I'll make sure that I'm ready to be a father, the best father I can possibly be." She settled her head on my chest gently.

"Thank you." She said quietly. "I, I love you so much Gene. Thank you for everything." I held her gently and rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head lightly.

"Thank _you_ Liz." I said. "Thank you, for making my life heaven on Earth, and thank you for being my friend, my partner, and my mate." She sighed quietly as I continued rubbing her back. "I love you."


	17. A wonderful gift

**Chapter seventeen, brought to you by Lord Genesis Shadow, with the help of DragonLord Seth. Sadly, I can't think of anything else to say right now, but I'll get to work on chapter eighteen as soon as I've done some work on my requests. Until then, just be patient.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. If I did, well, just look at what I've written so far?  
…**

I woke to find Liz in my arms, a smile on her face. I smiled as well and set my forehead lightly to hers. The peaceful feeling that was shared between us was wonderful. It was something I looked forward to waking up to, almost as much as I looked forward to seeing her face. I closed my eyes and slowly moved my arms to hold her closer to me.

'I know I'm a lucky man.' I thought. 'I have a wonderful mate who loves me as much as I love her. And she's everything I never knew I needed.' I heard a slight change in her breathing and I knew she was awake. She moved her lips to mine and I opened my eyes.

"Good morning." She said quietly. I kissed her lips lightly.

"Great morning." I corrected. She sighed quietly and I rubbed her back slowly. "Today is the Gym."

"Yes." She said quietly. "I'll do my best."

"That's all I can ask." I said. She smiled, but soon she seemed a little pained. "Are you okay?" She suddenly teleported and I felt a great deal of nervousness and fear from her. I quickly hopped out of the bed, hearing her from the bathroom. "Liz?" I walked over as the door shut. I heard her vomiting into the toilet and I put my hand to the door. I grabbed the handle and tried to turn it, but I couldn't.

"Don't, don't come in." She said quickly. I heard her vomit again and I felt worried for her.

"Liz, are you okay?" I asked. She groaned and I put my hand to the door again. "Liz, I think we should avoid the hotel breakfast today." She laughed quietly but soon vomited again. I teleported in and she held the bowl of the toilet while I knelt by her and put my hand on her back. "Well, we can always take Koga on tomorrow, providing we steer clear of any fish around here." She sighed and groaned quietly.

"No, I, I'll be fine in a few minutes." She said quietly. She whimpered and I rubbed the spot above her spike.

"Let's just see about that." I said. She closed the led and flushed the toilet and I sighed. "I guess it's not such a good morning after all." She shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry." She said. "This isn't very good for us right now." I shook my head and looked at the door, opening it quietly. I levitated her dress, along with my shirt and pants, into the bathroom and shut the door again.

"Well, at least we're still together." I said. She smiled slightly and nodded, but quickly opened the toilet lid again and threw up. She coughed and spat a bit out while I sighed. "No more fish." She nodded slowly before closing the lid again. I rubbed her back and she whimpered. "Feel better?"

"A little." She said quietly. She looked at me as I stood up slowly. "Could you, get me some water?" I nodded and opened the door, looking for the cups, but I remembered that we'd sent the trays and such back after finishing. I grabbed my pants and shirt and grumbled quietly while she laughed. "Your arm again?"

"This thing is going to be a real pain until I can get something to cover it." I said quietly. "And this eye isn't helping either." I opened the door and looked at her. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She nodded as I walked out. I quickly donned the jacket and sunglasses before walking out into the hall. I walked over to the elevator and pressed the button and began tapping my foot, which made me look down. 'Forgot the boots. Oh well.' I looked to my side and then at the ceiling. 'Come on, come on, come on.' I tapped my foot faster when the elevator door opened. I looked to see the room service tray and the man behind it. I smiled. "Serving breakfast early?" He nodded.

"We decided that you would probably appreciate the gesture." He said. "After all, you order the same breakfast each day, so it was figured you would order again."

"Thank you." I said.  
…

I sat beside Liz while she sighed quietly. I'd called Nurse Joy and she said it was likely just her nerves from the training and that she would be okay shortly after noon. She didn't eat her breakfast though, which struck me as odd. All week we had ordered buttermilk pancakes and Oran juice, and luckily all room service came with ice water, so I was able to get that to her right away.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. I just rubbed her arm slowly.

"It's not your fault." I said, just as quietly. "This kind of thing happens. You got excited about the Gym battle and your stomach couldn't handle it." She nodded, albeit hesitantly. "If you're feeling up to it after lunch, we'll head in, win the Badge, and then we can get some tickets for a cruise to Cinnabar Island." She sighed. "I just hope you don't get seasick." She looked at me with a grin while I smiled at her. She hadn't thrown up in a few hours, but she didn't feel like eating her breakfast. To that end we didn't want anyone getting suspicious, so I managed to eat the rest of the meal. I felt a rumble in my stomach and I put my free hand to my mouth and let out a quiet burp. "Excuse me." She giggled quietly as I gagged. "Agh!" She put her hand to her mouth and laughed quietly while I shook my head. "Oh, maple syrup and Oran aftertaste. _Not_ a pleasant mix."

"I'm sorry." She giggled. I looked at her with a small grin.

"Let's just say I'll be eating a light lunch." I said. She snickered as I rubbed her arm again. "And please stop apologizing. It's not your fault." She blushed.

"This was." She said. "I couldn't eat, so, you had to eat more than you normally do." I put my hand to my mouth and let out another quiet burp.

"Well, a few hours training with you and the others should work off the extra calories." I said. I gagged again. "Agh, not again." She laughed and I shook my head.

"Sorry." She said. I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking." I said. "Up until we met, that was my whole goal in life."

"Meeting me?" She asked. I nodded.

"After that it was just a blank page." I said. "Apart from meeting you and then deciding to do the Gym Challenge, I've got nothing. What do we do once we have all of the badges? What do we do after the League? Whether or not we win the League, what do we do after that?"

"I don't know." She said quietly. "I'm happy just as long as we're together."

"Well, one thing is for sure." I said. "I'll definitely want to travel. Life out here is better than a lot of other lifestyles we have to choose from. Traveling, you just go, and you always look forward, only looking back on fond memories." She set her head on my shoulder. "As long as there's someplace we haven't been, then we've got somewhere to go. As long as you're by my side, the world is ours to travel." She nodded. "If we want to go somewhere, who can stop us?"

"No one." She said quietly. "After we go to the League, I'd like to travel with you. I just know we'd have fun wherever we could go." I smiled and looked at her.

"So, that settles it for now." I said. She looked up at me. "When we test ourselves at the Pokémon League, win or lose, we just go somewhere. Pin a map up, toss a dart, and the land where it hits is where we go." She smiled and nodded. I kissed her lips and she sighed. "So, feeling better?" She nodded. "Okay then, let's get you some breakfast, and then we can head over to the Gym."

"Okay." She said. "Let's show Koga how strong we are."  
…

We walked up to the Gym and I looked at it. It was big, just like all of the others. Liz giggled as she stared at me, my right eye twitching.

"Gene, you've got that 'the doors are just big' look again." She said quietly. I nodded. "Big door." I nodded silently. "Big building." I groaned quietly.

"I just don't get it." I said. "Why must every Gym be this big, or bigger? It makes no sense to have a massive Gym. Maybe Koga will answer." I walked up to the door as it opened to reveal several people that looked like ninjas. "Hello."

"You are here to challenge Master Koga." One said. I nodded. "Come with me." He turned as the others walked past. "Please hurry. It's our lunch break and I want to head home and surprise my wife." We walked up to him and looked around.

"Could you answer a question, about the Gym?" I asked. He looked over his shoulder at me.

"I cannot tell you the secrets of our Gym." He said.

"It's not about that." I said. "It's just kind of a recurring thing. Every Gym is big, gigantic, or more. Why? Is it to intimidate people into thinking they need more training?"

"Perhaps." He said. "Only the original Gym Leaders knew why they are so big. Your question is a few generations too late. Sorry I couldn't help."

"It's fine." I said. "Perhaps my answer is somewhere in the world, maybe at another Gym, or maybe at a family related to an original Gym Leader." He laughed.

"That's the spirit." He said. "That's the kind of attitude that makes it possible to reach your dreams." He stopped in front of a door that opened to reveal a locker room, a door on the other side. "Master Koga is waiting past that door, but he knew you would be coming. He wishes you to wear traditional ninja attire, marked in locker number seventeen." He gestured to his right. "He has heard of you, and hoped to face you wearing similar attire. There is one that should fit your friend." Liz blushed. "Now, I am going to hurry home and surprise my wife." He turned and bowed. He walked past us and we walked into the locker room.

"What is a ninja?" Liz asked.

"They are fabled shadow warriors." I said. "Using the elements of stealth and agility, they used their skills to protect themselves from danger, as well as their villages. Some became assassins, using poison to kill their victims, back when it was difficult to discern specific poisons. Thus why Koga, a leader of the Gym that uses poison and insect Pokémon, is a Ninja Master." She nodded as we walked over to the locker. "So, I guess we should dress for the occasion." She nodded again as I turned the key already in the lock. Inside was the attire of a ninja, black as the night. "Well, the sleeves are long enough with, oh look there, fingerless gloves. The man knows me well." She giggled as I pulled it out. "I doubt he'll want me using my sunglasses, so I'll use this forehead guard to cover my right eye." She nodded as I pulled my duster off.  
…

"It is good to finally meet you Mr. Alastor." Koga said calmly. "I was hoping to face you sooner, but I think your difficult battle in Celadon affected your confidence." I nodded. "Covering your right eye to give yourself a handicap?"

"Actually I read this Manga few years ago about these ninjas." I replied. "One of the most powerful of them wore his guard over his left eye. I figured I'd do the opposite for fun." He laughed quietly as I grinned behind the mask. My outfit had a full equipment pouch, though I don't know why it was full. It had a pouch full of shuriken, one with twenty kunai, a small pack with five smoke bombs, and a long dagger on the back of my waist, faced right for me to grab. I still wore my hat over the top of the hood though because I liked it so much. "He may not have worn a Stetson, but I don't like going anywhere without one. I have a haberdasher on speed dial, and he delivers." He laughed again while Liz blushed. She wore a Kunoichi uniform, and I hoped Koga would let us keep the uniforms if we won. I found that though it was a little tight fitting, it felt pretty good to wear. It made me feel more confident than usual.

"So, she is your first choice?" He asked. I looked at her from the corner of my eye and she sent an emotion that signaled no.

"No." I said calmly. "But before I summon the first, how many will fight?"

"Two each." He said. I nodded and pulled Mawile's Pokéball from my belt, and he pulled one from his. "I choose, Venonat!" He opened the ball and summoned a small purple Pokémon that looked like a ball of hair with big red compound eyes. I opened the ball and summoned Mawile.

"Mawile, I know you can handle this." I said calmly. Mawile stretched as Koga's eyes widened slightly.

"Ah, this should be a good battle." She said happily. She stepped forward while Koga smiled. He wasn't wearing a mask like I was.

"A Steel type." He said. "Excellent choice. This may well be a difficult battle." A ninja appeared on the side and held up his left hand.

"If both sides are ready?" He called. We nodded at the same time and he swung his hand down quickly. "Begin!"

"Venonat, use Confusion!" Koga called.

"CM!" I called. Our new strategy was for me to just call the letters of the attack name to both buy time and to keep our enemy guessing. Mawile hovered for a moment but she swung her arms out and let out a calm breath. "IF!" Mawile's larger mouth chilled behind her as she ran forward.

"Venonat, Sleep Powder!" Koga called. Venonat shook furiously and let off a small cloud of blue spores.

"Jump over it Mawile." I said calmly. She ran forward and Venonat watched, only for Mawile to land and spin, grabbing it with the frozen steel jaws. Venonat yelled as it was thrown to the side, but it recovered and shook the frost away quickly.

"Venonat, use Zen Headbutt!" Koga called. Venonat jumped once before running, his forehead glowing with Psychic energy.

"Mawile, FA followed by IH." I said calmly. Mawile vanished and Venonat stopped to look around. He moved to Headbutt, using his compound eye's radar like abilities to spot her, but I smiled. "Tuck and roll combo!" Mawile appeared and ducked under the attack, but quickly grabbed Venonat and threw him into the air as her head glowed. She jumped up as Koga reached out.

"No!" He called. Mawile slammed her head into the Venonat and the insect hit the ground.

"Five more minutes momma." Venonat said weakly. Koga sighed as Mawile skipped back to me.

"You did your best my friend." He said quietly.

"Venonat is unable to battle." The ninja referee said. Koga recalled Venonat and smiled.

"This next one won't be so easy." He said. He pulled out another ball and held it out. "Venomoth, let us show him that we are not weak!" The ball opened and a Venomoth came out, stretching before flapping his wings.

"If both sides are ready?" The ninja called. We all nodded. "Begin!"

"Venomoth, use Psychic, followed by Stun Spore!" Koga called. I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Mawile was pulled in toward the large moth, dragged hard across the ground, before she was coated with yellow Spores.

"Mawile, FF!" I called. Her jaws went red and began sparking flames but she was soon thrown into the air. 'No, no, no.' She came back down hard and was tossed in front of me, looking tired and weak. I knelt by her and she looked up at me before closing her eyes. "Geeze. That was brutal."

"Is she okay?" Liz asked quietly. I nodded and pulled out the ball.

"Mawile is unable to battle." The ninja called.

"Okay then." I said. "This is it." I recalled Mawile and stood up, putting her ball on the belt. "Don't hold back Liz." She nodded and stepped forward. I brought up emotions in quick succession, each telling her to use a different attack. She would start with teleporting in to use Fire Punch, followed by teleporting away to avoid the spores, then a Psybeam. If Venomoth still stood, she'd use a shower of Magical Leaves for cover, and to block any spores, before using a powerful Psybeam to blast through the leaves.

"Are both sides ready?" The ninja called. "This is the final match."

"Koga, I leave this battle in the hands of Liz." I said calmly. He stared. "I trust in her skill." He nodded.

"Then if you are both ready?" The ninja called again. Liz nodded, as did Koga. "Begin!"

Liz teleported right away as Koga opened his mouth to call his first order. She reappeared and slammed a flaming fist into the back of Venomoth, staggering it forward as she teleported back.

"Venomoth!" Koga called. She fired a Psybeam and just missed Venomoth. "Show her your own Psybeam!" I sent an emotion for her to use her barrier and fire another Psybeam, and I smiled as Venomoth fired his beam, only for it to be blocked by the shield Liz brought up. She fired another beam before Koga could call for Venomoth to dodge, and it hit squarely in the center of the body, knocking him back several feet. "Venomoth!" Liz flung out the Magical leaves, but they swirled around in a small barrier. "What?" Seconds later, she fired a powerful Psybeam through. Koga yelled as the leaves swirled away, revealing Venomoth on the ground. "Unbelievable."

"Venomoth is unable to battle." The ninja said, quietly. He was clearly surprised. "Challenger Alastor is the clear victor."

"I can hardly believe this." Koga said. The ninja jumped up high and vanished while Liz walked back to me and winked. "I underestimated you Liz. I had believed I could perhaps use a Bug type move, but you are far faster than I expected." He laughed quietly. "I wonder if perhaps wearing those clothes threw Venomoth off." He walked over and pulled out the badge from behind him. "You have proven capable against me, and I confer unto you the Soul Badge." He handed it to me and I smiled. "And as a parting gift for the skills Liz has demonstrated, skills worthy of a true ninja I might add, I want you both to keep the equipment you are wearing."

"Thank you Koga." Liz said.

"Thank you." I said. "From both of us." He nodded. "Before we go though, I have a question, and I don't really mind if I don't get an answer. But, why are all of the Gyms so large? Is it to scare trainers, to intimidate them, or, what? Just to be big?"

"I have actually wondered that myself." He said. He laughed as I put the badge in a small case.  
…

Liz sighed quietly as she looked in the mirror. I smiled at how beautiful she looked. I wanted to walk up behind her and just hold her until it was time to go to sleep. I had booked two tickets to Cinnabar in a private suite, a soundproofed one with one window looking out to sea instead of toward land. It was to be a fast cruise, getting us there in seventeen hours. We just had to wait until the following morning to get on the ship.

"Gene?" Liz asked quietly.

"Yes love?" I replied.

"Do you, remember that dress, from the magazine in Celadon?" She asked.

"I do." I said. "Would you like me to call the tailor?" She nodded slowly and I pulled the magazine from my backpack and looked at the number, along with the cell phone. I dialed the number while she walked over to the bed and sat down beside me. "Oh, he's in Fuchsia right now. Maybe we can get to him tonight before we turn in." I put the phone by my ear while I moved my other arm around her shoulders. The line picked up as she set her head on my shoulder.

"Hello, you have reached Xavier Richards, clothing designer and professional tailor." He said cheerily. "What may I do for _you_?" He spoke in a light French accent with a light voice tone.

"Hello sir, this is Gene Alastor." I said. "I'm in Fuchsia and I'd like to know if I could stop by tonight."

"Gene Alastor?" He asked. "_The_ Gene Alastor?"

"That would be me." I said.

"Gene _Zero_ Alastor?" He asked. I chuckled. "Of course you can stop by. I've been wondering when you'd call. I have a few designs and I would like to take your measurements for them."

"Well, that wasn't my initial plan, but okay." I said.

"I am in the Hotel across the street from the Pokémon Center." He said.

"What a coincidence." I said. "We're on the twenty third floor."

"Ah, I am on the fifteenth, room fifteen thirty seven." He said.

"We'll be down in a few minutes." I said.

"We?" He asked. "Ah, that is right, you have that lovely Gardevoir with you. Oh, would you be getting her a little gift for a Contest perhaps?"

"Yes, and I hope to give her the absolute best chance possible." I said calmly.

"Then you are in luck, I have a design I am sure you will both like." He said. "I will be waiting with the door open. Just come right in." He hung up and I closed my phone.

"What did he say?" She asked.

"He's here, a few floors down, and he wants us to come down now." I said. "Apparently he has some ideas for clothes he wants to make for me, and he's got a few ideas for you as well." She smiled. "Looks like you may have that dress and a few more."  
…

Liz snuggled close to me and I moved my arm over her. She was tired after having to stand and model for Xavier. He was a nice guy, but he had ten ideas for suits for me and five dresses for Liz, as well as the one from the magazine she wanted. He had a copy of it and she looked at herself in a mirror while she wore it. There was little I could do to keep from blushing at the time, but having to stand while having Xavier measure my body to such a specific degree made it a lot easier. He promised to have the dress done by morning, along with a black suit for me to go with my boots and hat, along with a special pair of gloves. When I asked him if they could be fingerless he seemed skeptical, but said that the suit would look better with them instead of the ones he had in mind. How he was going to get them done in a single night was beyond me, but he told us not to worry, and that he would have the rest done by the time we got to the final Gym. From what he told me, the final Gym was in Viridian, which surprised me. I hadn't thought that the Gym would be there, but I read that the leader, a man named Giovanni, was a step above all of the other Gym Leaders, and he had some newly discovered Pokémon that was brutally powerful, but nothing else was known about it.

"Gene?" Liz asked quietly.

"Yes love?" I replied, just as quietly. She was silent and I slowly rubbed her arm.

"What if, I became pregnant, before we got to Cinnabar?" She asked. "What would we do?"

"Well, I guess we would have to stop our journey for now." I said quietly. "It would be dangerous for both you and our baby, and someone would be bound to notice. The League battles don't take place for a long time, and if you didn't have an egg, then it would be very obvious." She nodded. "I'd have a jet take us back to our house."

"_Our_ house?" She asked. I kissed her cheek.

"Yes, _our_ house." I said. "Back in the Hoenn region. There aren't many people around, and nobody ever visits, but there is a Pokémon Center nearby and we can ask Nurse Joy to come by. There are four Nurse Joys at the Center, so one will be able to come by anytime, hopefully." She sighed quietly.

"I love you." She said quietly I kissed her neck lightly.

"I love you too." I said calmly. She closed her eyes with a smile and I kissed her cheek lightly. "Good night."

"Great night." She corrected. I smiled and kissed her cheek again.


	18. Our little cruise

**I'm back for a while, though my posts will be far and few between for a while. The good news is though that I've renewed my interest in this fic, and it seems to be coming along nicely.**

**Thanks go to DragonLord Seth as usual, but there shall be a change in the near future. Normally he's my unofficial Beta Writer, but he's having difficulties at the moment so I've contacted another good friend of mine. This chapter has been previewed and approved by Mariokutai-Reincarnated, as will every chapter from now, thus making him my new unofficial Beta Writer.**

**Speaking of Mariokutai, Blake 'Shimmer' Gordons is an OC of his design, and I believe he fits well into this chapter, and likely he'll be seen in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. It'll be a strange day indeed if I ever do, but perhaps a celebrated one. More action, a serious tone, but still viewable to a younger audience.  
…**

I opened my eyes slowly and looked at his face. He looked so peaceful, but I knew he was awake. He nearly always woke up before I did, regardless of our activities the night before. The small smile on his lips told me he was awake, but even though I saw the smile, the way he was breathing made it difficult to tell. He was good at acting. Sometimes it made it tough to tell what he was thinking. Every so often I could feel forced emotions to cover up another feeling, like fear or worry. I knew it was for me though. The only emotion that was always clear to me was his love. No matter how scared or worried he was, I always knew he loved me.

'Thank you, Gene.' I thought quietly. I leaned forward and kissed his lips lightly. As always he stayed with me for a few seconds as I leaned back. His eyes opened, those beautifully mismatched eyes, and I felt my heart fluttering all over again. When our lips parted, he smiled wider.

"Morning love." He said quietly. I giggled and moved my forehead to his.

"Good morning." I whispered. He sighed quietly and moved his right hand along my back slowly.

"How do you feel?" He asked. I kissed his lips lightly.

"Wonderful." I said quietly. In truth, I did feel okay, but how long that would stay was up for debate. But I wondered why I had been sick the other day before the Gym battle. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. One moment I was fine, and the next I found myself bent over a toilet vomiting. To say that it was embarrassing or scary would be putting it mildly. I truly hoped that it was just my nerves and not something serious. "You?" He smiled and rubbed my back gently.

"Fantastic." He said quietly. I smiled a little wider as he stared into my eyes. For a brief moment he looked away and sighed quietly through his nose. "We should get ready though. As much as I'd rather stay here in this warm bed with you, the ship won't wait for us." I nodded as he pulled me a little closer, making me laugh quietly. "I love you Liz." I smiled as he kissed me. I rubbed his shoulder as he slowly ended the kiss.

"I love you too Gene." I said quietly. He moved back slowly and I felt a bit of sadness as we let go of each other. That only lasted a moment as a bit of amusement slipped into its place. I couldn't tell if it was me that was sad to not have him in my arms or if he was sad to have let go of me. He got up and I smiled as I looked at his body. As I got up I felt a bit of unease in my stomach, but it wasn't as bad as the previous day. 'Why does my stomach feel like this?' I got up though, hiding my confusion and worry. I walked over to my dress and pulled it on as I heard him zip up his pants. I smiled as I slipped my hands into my gloves. But I took a moment to stare at my hands. He had five fingers, and I had three. Would that ever pose a problem? My hands were slightly bigger than his, at least with the gloves on. They were a lot smaller on the inside though. Even I could hardly believe it, but he didn't seem surprised. But then, he had studied Ralts, Kirlia, Gardevoir, and Gallade extensively, long before he met me. He knew just about everything her needed to know to take care of me. I looked at him as he pulled on his jacket. 'Do you know what's wrong? Can you tell me why I'm, sick?' He grabbed his bag and looked into it while I fought my nerves.

"Hey Liz?" He called quietly. I looked at him. "Have you seen my Pokétch? I think I set it down somewhere by the bed." I nodded and looked around for a moment before spotting it. I grabbed it and walked over to him.

"Here it is." I said quietly. He smiled and put his hand on top of mine, making me blush slightly. He slowly took it and let go of my hand. He laughed quietly and I smiled, looking away. 'How does he do this to me? I'm nervous that I may be sick, and yet he still makes me smile.' He stood up and pulled on his backpack before looking into my eyes.

"Are you okay Liz?" He asked. "You seem a little, nervous." I blushed deeper.

"I'm okay." I said. "I'm, just really happy." He smiled slightly and I moved over to him, hugging him. "I love you Gene." He returned my embrace and I smiled. I felt a lot better being in his arms.

"I love you too Liz." He said quietly. He kissed my cheek.  
…

We walked toward the dock while I held his arm. Normally I'd levitate beside him, but I wanted to try to grow stronger physically. It would be useful for Fire and Ice Punches, and maybe I could use it for other purposes. For now though, I just liked walking beside him, holding his arm carefully. Many humans stared at us, but I could tell that Gene didn't mind, so I didn't pay them any mind.

'Just holding your arm makes me calm.' I thought quietly. 'If only I could kiss you right now.' I looked at him and he looked at me from the corner of his eye. I could tell he knew what I was thinking, so I just smiled and looked ahead. 'I wish we didn't have to wait until we are alone. But, at least no one will think that it is odd that I am holding your arm. To them, I must seem like an overly affectionate, pet.' I felt a bit of sadness when Gene stopped. I looked up and gasped quietly, putting a hand to my mouth. 'Oh, my goodness. Is that a ship?'

"It's a little bigger than I thought it would be." He said quietly. "I wonder if they have a pool." He chuckled and I looked at him. "Not like I can go for a swim as I am now." He looked at me as a small amount of sadness made it through my emotional barrier. "It's fine Liz. I don't mind not being able to swim. We might end up spending most of our time in our stateroom for a bit of peace and quiet." I smiled and nodded as he walked us to a sailor who stood in front of a ramp.

"Good morning." He said calmly. "Do you have your tickets?" Gene nodded and produced two tickets. "Where is your friend?" He gestured to me and I blushed.

"She's right here." He said calmly. I nodded as the sailor looked at the tickets.

"Well then, welcome aboard." He said. He stepped aside and we walked up the ramp. I was kind of nervous about being over water, but Gene slowly moved his hand to mine and I felt an immediate surge of confidence.

"Don't worry Liz, I won't let you fall overboard." He said. I nodded as we walked onto the deck. I looked around as he slowly let go of my hand, but I grabbed his immediately. He turned us as I continued looking around.

"This is amazing." I said quietly. "It's much different than the plane." He nodded slowly and stopped. Before I could ask why, I heard a quiet laugh.

"Well, seems like you've got one heck of an affectionate partner." A voice said calmly. I turned to see a young boy looking at us with his arms crossed.

He looked to be maybe, fourteen years old, and he was shorter than Gene by about half a foot, and he was rather slim for his age, but he had a bit of muscle. His hair was odd, gray, and the left side reached his shoulder while the right just reached his ear. He had a scar on his face that formed the kanji for power. He wore an odd tee shirt, made of a strangely dark gray material that resembled leather with dark red shoulder pads. Odder still was a detached sleeve that covered his entire left arm, even over his hand, and he covered his right hand with what looked like a heavy leather glove. But up his right arm were six bands, each with a ball. Two were regular and three were what I was told were called 'Ultra' balls, but one had green and yellowish green marks on the top part. He wore a pair dark gray jeans with the left leg ending at his knee, but the right leg was normal. His shoes were dark gray with dark red laces. I remember seeing a pair before. Gene called them 'trainers', and the irony that this boy was a trainer was not lost on me. But his eyes, they were odd. Looking closely, they were green, but the parts closer to the pupil were light green while the outermost area was darker.

"Well, she is a Gardevoir." Gene said calmly, turning to him. "Gardevoir have strong bonds with their trainers, and the reverse is also true. We are far from an exception." The boy smirked slightly and I could tell he would likely want to battle.

"She looks pretty strong." He said. Gene nodded and I blushed slightly. "What would you say to a battle?"

"Here?" I asked, looking at Gene. He looked down at me.

"What do you say?" He asked. "Feel up for some exercise?" I looked at the boy and then around the deck. "There's a place near the stern that is designated for battles." I looked at the boy and he seemed ready for a battle.

"Okay." I said with a small smile. "Sounds like fun."

"You're on kid." Gene said. The boy pointed his right thumb in at himself.

"I'm Blake 'Shimmer' Gordons." He said. "And I'm not about to lose to you, even if you are Zero Alastor." I felt a bit of pride from Gene and looked to see him smiling slightly.  
…

We walked over to our side of the battlefield as a crowd gathered around us. They seemed about ready to bust with excitement. I heard murmurs of praise at Blake's bravery, and others of how curious his attire was, but there was more about how Gene was nice enough to accept a challenge on what they thought was a vacation. I even heard a few people asking what I was, calling me a cute or pretty Pokémon. It made me blush, but there wasn't much time as the referee stepped into his place.

"How many Pokémon will you both be using?" He called.

"Three." Blake said. "No point in tiring out our whole teams." Gene nodded as I looked at the Pokéballs on his arm.

"Choose your first Pokémon." The referee called. Gene looked at me and I shook my head slightly. He grabbed a ball as Blake grabbed the green ball with his left hand, but he had the sleeve covering it. He pointed it forward and opened it while Gene watched. A Doduo appeared from within, twitching slightly and looking around everywhere with both heads quickly. He seemed very nervous.

"Okay Doduo." Blake said calmly. "Let's show them what you can do." One head looked at him while the other looked at me.

"Okay then, I think, Vulpix." Gene said. The ball opened and Vulpix came out and yawned before stretching. "Up for a match Vulpix? I know you didn't get a chance to battle against Koga yesterday." She looked back and nodded.

"Okay." She said. "This should be fun." She walked forward as the crowd talked quietly among themselves. A few glass walls rose to protect them as Doduo shook both of his heads quickly before getting into a fighting pose, squawking from each head before narrowing all of his eyes.

"Are both of you ready?" The referee called.

"Ready!" Blake called.

"Vulpix?" Gene asked calmly. She nodded. "Okay. We're ready." The referee raised his right hand.

"Begin!" He called.

"Doduo, start off with Peck!" Blake called.

"Vulpix, E, followed by FS." Gene said calmly.

'Ember and Fire Spin.' I thought. 'That should work just fine.' Doduo ran forward and tried to peck with both heads but Vulpix ducked and rolled under him, causing him to look under his body. She launched the Ember at him and got his right head, making him jump and spin, only for her to blast a line of flames at the ground, making a small fiery whirlwind that rushed toward him.

"Dodge it!" Blake called. Doduo tried but the flames caught his right leg.

"FT." Gene called. Doduo jumped up.

"Tri-Beam!" Blake called. Doduo's eyes glowed for a moment before he screeched, a trio of beams firing from each mouth. Fire, Ice, and Electricity spun together, creating a powerful concussive beam. Vulpix opened her mouth and launched a powerful Flamethrower, stronger than her usual attacks, and the beam flew through the center. Just as her eyes went wide, the flames covered Doduo and a small explosion knocked Vulpix away. The crowd was silent as the flames and smoke cleared. Doduo stood shakily. "Doduo!"

"D, darn…" Doduo said weakly. He took a step forward and fell over. Vulpix was out cold.

"This match is a tie." The referee called. Blake whistled.

"Wow." He said quietly. "Strong Vulpix you've got."

"We spent a week preparing for Koga." Gene said calmly. I nodded.

"When did you work out the letter calls for the attacks?" Blake asked. "That's a good move."

"We thought that one out a few days in." Gene replied. "It's a good way to save time, but it takes time to memorize the letters of the attacks." He pulled out the ball while Blake recalled Doduo. After recalling Vulpix he looked at me.

"Mind if I select first?" Blake called. Gene gestured to him and Blake grabbed one regular Pokéball with his covered left hand. "Okay then, Scyther, let's go!" The ball opened and a large green insect with sharp blades extending from the elbows. It opened its eyes and looked over at us and I felt kind of scared. But then, it was a Bug type, and I'm a Psychic type.

"Wow." Gene said quietly. "He's a tough one, but I think…" He pulled out a Great ball and I smiled. "Mawile can handle this." He opened the ball and she appeared. The first thing she did was stretch and look at Scyther.

"A Mawile?" Blake asked. "Not bad." Scyther shook and smiled slightly. "But that won't stop Scyther." Scyther swung his blades in front of his body.

"Good luck little Mawile." He said quietly. "Let's not let this end too quickly." Mawile clapped her hands and smiled with her larger mouth.

"I hear that." She said sweetly.

"Are you ready?" The referee called.

"Ready." Blake called.

"Ready as we can be." Gene said.

"Begin!" The referee called.

"Scyther, start off with Brick Break!" Blake called.

"SP!" Gene called. Scyther ran forward but Mawile moved faster toward him. She jumped up and slammed her fist into his stomach, winding him and making him double over. "IH." Her head glowed white and Scyther jumped back as she jumped up. His right foot began glowing and he kicked her, using Brick Break to send her back a few feet.

"Okay Scyther, use Vacuum Wave!" Blake called. Scyther swung his scythes quickly and Mawile gasped.

"Mawile, Endure!" Gene called quickly. I put my hands together as the attack hit her, knocking her over. I could feel a bit of worry from Gene, but I think more from myself. As the attack ended, I saw Scyther getting ready to attack again. "FA!" Mawile vanished and Scyther watched for a moment before swinging, but as soon as his attack connected her larger mouth swung around and hit him, knocking him over onto the deck. After a moment, neither of them stood up.

"Yet another draw." The referee said. Gene and Blake recalled Mawile and Scyther.

"Amazing." Blake said.

"That's a fluke I never thought I'd see." Gene added. Blake cracked his neck and picked off one of the Ultra balls and Gene looked at me. I nodded and walked onto the field.

"Choosing your all star?" Blake called. Gene nodded.

"And I'm letting her call the shots." He said. I smiled as Blake opened the ball. A Sneasel appeared from within, with a red 'ear' instead of the usual pink.

"Then I'll let Sneasel do the same." Blake said. "Just to keep things interesting."

"Are both Pokémon ready?" The referee called. I looked at the Sneasel as he stretched his arms.

"Ready." He said quietly.

"I am." I said. We knew he couldn't understand exactly what he said, but we knew he'd get the gist of it.

"Begin!" He called. Sneasel instantly vanished and I tried to sense him.

'Faint Attack.' I thought. I listened for movement and detected a sense of joy at the last second and teleported out of the way, turning to face him. He seemed to like fighting. "Naughty, naughty." He smiled and rushed forward, fangs bared. 'Oh boy, Bite.' I decided to have some fun of my own so I stepped back and literally danced away from his attacks. He tried to claw at me with Slashes and Fury Swipes, but he couldn't even get close to my dress.

"Hold still!" He said. I smiled and danced away, moving my arms to the side as the crowd cheered both of us on, but I saw that Gene was smiling. I spun around Sneasel and jumped back. Blake wasn't smiling. I felt a bit of annoyance and anger from him. Sneasel however was having the time of his life. But when I looked back, he was forming a beam in his mouth that I recognized. It was an Ice Beam, and I had foolishly put Gene right behind me as it started to fire.

'No one hurts my mate.' I thought quickly. I pointed my right hand forward and fired a Psybeam at him. Our attacks collided and created a large cloud of steam, giving me an idea as we both stopped. Closing my eyes, I relied purely on my ability to sense emotions. He had the type advantage, and one good Faint Attack or Bite and I would lose for sure. He rushed forward as I had hoped, but I was readying a trump card attack in the steam. When he was right in front of me I ducked to my right and he swiped at me, only for my eyes to snap open as my right fist burst into flame. "Good night Sneasel." His eyes were wide as I drew back my fist and quickly launched it forward, striking him in the right cheek and sending him flying over to the wall, but luckily not into it. He struggled to get up for a moment before giving up.

"Ah, crud." He muttered before falling onto his chest. I stepped back to Gene as Blake recalled Sneasel with an odd look. He looked more annoyed than angry now.

"Man." He said quietly. "Looks like the rumors are true." The glass went down as Gene put his left arm around my shoulder, making me smile. "She really is one tough cookie." Gene and I walked around the arena as the crowd dispersed. Blake walked up and held out his right hand, which Gene took. "You've trained your team well. I never thought my team would have lost to you, especially since I've been training for a couple of years now."

"Well, I'm blessed with a strong bond with my whole team." Gene said. "I definitely had a few moments where I thought we were in trouble though." When Blake had let go of Gene's hand, he held out his right hand to me. I slowly took his hand with a smile.

"Liz, was it?" He asked. I nodded. "Well Liz, I thought we had you with a type advantage, but you're definitely a cut above the average Gardevoir. I'm sure we'll see each other again someday." He let go of my hand. "Don't get sloppy before I get a chance for a rematch."

"Don't worry about us." Gene said. "We've no intention of getting soft in the near future." Something felt odd when he said that. I felt like, regardless of intention, something was going to happen soon. "We'll see you later Blake. For now, I think it's time we check into our suite." I nodded and bowed politely to him, still smiling slightly.  
…

I looked around at the room. Once more, it was a beautiful room with plenty of space. The others were in the onboard Pokémon Center while I walked in. Gene had shut the door and drew the shade on the window after hanging the 'Do not disturb sign'. I thought the sign was cute, with a picture of a sleeping Abra on it.

'We always have such nice rooms.' I thought. 'And, Gene says that this one is soundproofed. We can do anything we wish in here, and no one will bother us.' I smiled slightly as I heard him removing his jacket. I used my powers to draw all of the shades to be safe. I wanted to make sure he wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing his arm. The telltale click of his sunglasses folding told me that he was going to get comfortable, and looking back at him I was right. He had walked over to the couch and was already sitting down and leaning back. 'I am happy. I know that I have a loving mate, and, I am truly blessed that he cares so much for me.' I walked over and sat down beside him. He moved his right arm around me and I felt safe, like I felt anytime he put an arm around me. I sighed quietly and moved my head onto his shoulder.

"This is a nice room." He said quietly. I nodded. "I think we'll be just fine in here for the trip. A few days on the water at a slow cruise pace. I think we've earned some time to ourselves." I nodded again, sighing quietly and closing my eyes as my smile gradually widened. My stomach hadn't acted up, so I was fine for a while, but there was no telling if it would. But as long as it didn't, I was okay. "You did great against Blake's Sneasel. I knew you could win." He rubbed my arm and I moved closer to him. "It was nice seeing you dancing to avoid his attacks too. You're very graceful." I sighed quietly as he chuckled. "If we ever have time, do you think we could dance for a bit?" I opened my eyes and looked at him with a smile.

"I'd like that." I said quietly. He smiled and I leaned up and kissed him. After a minute I ended our embrace and looked into his eyes. After a few seconds I kissed him again, feeling an ever familiar need rising to the surface. He could feel it as well. His hand moved down my arm as I reached my hands out to his chest. I focused my mind for a moment and teleported his shirt onto the back of the couch so I could feel his chest. I closed my eyes and suddenly felt that my dress was removed. I ended the kiss and opened my eyes. He had a familiar playful grin, and I knew he was growing stronger with his psychic powers. "You're getting better." He smiled and moved a hand to my chest, making me blush slightly. I teleported the rest of his clothes onto the floor and he smiled mischievously. I suddenly found myself with my back against something soft, likely the bed, with him over me with a familiar look in his eyes. "Much better."

"It's all thanks to you." He said quietly. He moved closer to me and I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his need against my skin. He was always so gentle with me, treating me like I was more delicate than I really am. It was nice though. I knew that he wouldn't ever do anything to put me in danger. "I love you Liz."

"I love you too." I said quietly. I felt his right hand slowly settle on my stomach before moving up to my chest, to my gem. He slowly rubbed the side, sparking a good deal of pleasure in my mind. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the touch as he kissed me. He wasn't going to just make love to me right away. He was going to tease me. I whimpered quietly as he slowly moved down, and without warning I felt him kiss my gem. "Gene." I squirmed under his touch as I reached for his hair, slowly moving my fingers through it. He kissed my gem again before moving his lips to my right breast. I blushed and enjoyed the feeling. I felt kind of bad that I never returned his actions. He would be so attentive to me, but I never did more than feel his back, or run my fingers through his hair. It was always him giving me pleasure, without asking for it in return. 'Maybe, I can do something for you next time.' He moved his right hand down my stomach, stopping above my womanhood. My eyes opened slowly and I knew he was asking for permission to touch me. "Gene, I, I love you."He moved up and kissed me as he started rubbing me with the tips of his fingers. He only ever got better at touching me. His tongue snaked through my lips and I gladly returned the favor. A finger teased me, rubbing almost into me without fully going in. I couldn't help but feel greedy, and I couldn't stop the wish that he would do more. As if reading my mind though, the finger slipped inside of me. I moaned quietly, ever thankful for, him. He was all I wanted at that moment. I ended the kiss and arched my back as he moved to my neck, kissing the side lightly. "Gene." I felt a familiar joy from him.

"Yes?" He asked slyly, kissing my neck again. "Is there, something you want?" Another kiss on my neck. Waves of pleasure flowed through my body as he slowly increased the speed of his finger, adding another digit. I panted as he kissed my neck yet again. I whimpered and moved my arms around him again. I felt stranger than usual, but better. "Liz." He moved his lips by my ear. If he said those three words, it would be too much.

'Gene, please, say it.' I begged in my mind. 'Please, say it.'

"I love you." He whispered. I cried out quietly as a powerful surge of pleasure rushed up my spine, bursting in my mind as my body shook, my hips bucking against his hand. After a few moments I lowered my back to the bed, feeling like I'd just fought Sabrina's Alakazam again, minus the pain. He kissed my cheek lightly and I fought to catch my breath.

"Gene, I, I love you, so much." I whispered. I pulled him closer and I knew he was smiling. I kissed his shoulder and felt tears of joy leaving my eyes. I felt his arousal against my skin and at that moment I felt slightly bad. I moved my hand under him and slowly wrapped my fingers around him, making him look into my eyes. I saw his love for me, but I saw more. Something told me that he was much more than just my mate now. He was my very life. I moved him to me and he carefully pressed into me. "I love you." He kissed me and I moved my hand back around him.

"I love you too Liz." He said quietly.


	19. Our first dance

**It has been some time in the making, this chapter, but it's been done for just short of a week. Mostly filler this time, a little character development, and the usual romantic air, but I really liked writing this one. It didn't feel fully complete right away, so I took a while to add a little more at the end to get it closer to what I wanted.**

**This time around DragonLord Seth has approved this chapter, but I've not heard from Mariokutai-Reincarnated yet.**

**On a secondary note, I'll try to return to regular postings for any stories I have enough chapters ready, but I'm still on my Friday and Saturday postings only. That said, I will post chapters before these days for Mariokutai since it isn't my work.**

**Last for this chapter, I'm willing to put in new characters in my stories if you want me to do so. Just go to my profile, copy and paste my OC creation list with your character, and send it to me via PM or email, though I'll usually respond with a PM to preserve my personal anonymity. If you don't use the OC sheet I've created, I'll send it to you and you should fill it out properly. I'm kind of strict on this because if the method isn't used I can't get a good enough feel for the character. Personality, attire, physical aspects, and general information about the character give me the information needed for me to understand who they are.**

**Oh, almost forgot. Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do hereby state that I do not own the rights to Pokémon. Have a nice day.  
…**

I leaned forward over the railing and thought about what to do on our little cruise. I heard that there would be a Contest that would be open to anyone that wanted to enter, and Liz said that she'd like to try, so that was good for a few hours, and it would definitely be fun, but what to do after the Contest was occupying my thoughts. If we did win, we still had another day or so until we got to Cinnabar Island. That would make it difficult if everyone decided to start bothering us about it.

"Hey." A quiet voice said. I looked to see Liz leaning over the rail with me. "What are you thinking about?" I looked out to the sea.

"I was thinking about entering a Contest." I said. "But I got to thinking that it might cause us a bit of trouble, especially since we're going to be another couple of days until Cinnabar, not to mention the fact that everyone else is going there as well."

"Well, someday we might be able to enter a Contest." She said. I looked at her with a small smile as she held her left hand to her mouth to giggle. "It's for the best though. We haven't had any practice with anything that might work in a contest. I doubt our normal battle routine would be enough." I nodded and smiled a little wider before moving closer. I moved my arm around her and she smiled. "What if someone sees us?"

"They'll see me hugging you." I replied quietly. "Nothing bad about us standing here like this. I tell everyone that you're my best friend, and sometimes best friends do this." She smiled wider and I patted her shoulder. "But you're probably right. Our normal battle routine works great, and people like it, but everyone here saw that when you beat Blake's Sneasel. Even though I'd like to see you dancing again, the judges may not see it as original." She nodded and moved slightly closer. A small thought crossed my mind. "You know, it's, not against the law for us to, dance." I looked at her and she was blushing slightly. "I'm sure it's okay if we went downstairs for a few dances tonight, maybe enjoy a nice dinner with a decent air about it." I stood up and stepped back while she turned to watch me. "Liz, may I escort you to the dance tonight?" I offered my right hand and she smiled before taking it.

"It would be my pleasure." She said sweetly. I pulled her in and she blushed at how close we were.

"If that's how you want to end our night." I said quietly. She smiled and stepped back, blushing deeper.

"If you play your cards right, I'll think about it." She said quietly. I smirked as she laughed into her hands while I focused on not pulling her in to kiss her. "Well, if we're going to a dance, we should pick out what to wear." I nodded as she started walking. I moved up to her and she took my arm, moving close to me. "So, what kind of food do they have on ships?"

"All kinds." I said. "Nothing but the finest for this particular cruise service. I promise you'll find it different than grilled cheese and Leppa juice."  
…

I watched her twirl in her sleek black dress. It fit her perfectly, even to her gem. She looked at me as I fought a familiar feeling.

"Well, how do I look?" She asked quietly.

"Perfect." I said. She smiled as I stood up. At the time I wore only a white shirt and my new suit pants, mainly because she wanted me to see how she looked. "I knew you'd look gorgeous in it, but…" I stepped up to her and she blushed as I placed my hand on her sides. "Imagining and seeing produce two wildly different results." She leaned up and kissed me while I moved my arms around her carefully. She looked into my eyes as I slowly rubbed her back. When we ended the kiss she playfully winked and I smiled a little wider.

"Come on, there will be plenty of time for that after the dance." She said. "Now, finish getting dressed. I want to see what this, ballroom looks like." I kissed her lips before stepping back. A small thought crossed my mind. I moved to my pack and I knelt carefully by it. "What are you looking for?"

"Something you chose from the Celadon Gym." I said. She walked over as I found the small bottle. I stood up with it and turned to her. She smiled as I held it up. She offered her neck and I stared for a moment.

"What?" She asked. I smiled and moved in to quickly kiss her neck, making her laugh. "Gene, kissing later, dancing and dinner now." I moved back and pointed the end at her neck before giving a light spray. She moved her head to her other shoulder and looked at my eyes, so I simply gave another light spray to the open side and she smiled with me. I set the bottle back in the spot where it had originally occupied before standing up. Before I turned I held my arms out. As I'd expected she had made my suit jacket float for me to stick my arms through. I pulled it forward and buttoned it up before doing the cufflinks. "You look very nice." I turned to her as she looked me over. When she looked up I kissed her again, making her sigh and fight a smile. "Really Gene, we need to get ready." I laughed quietly before grabbing the gloves that went with the suit. After pulling them on she looked on the table.

"In my humble opinion, you don't need makeup." I said. She looked at me with a small smirk.

"Really?" She asked. I nodded before moving my hand to her cheek, gently stroking her soft skin.

"I wouldn't lie to you." I said. "In fact, I don't think I could ever bring myself to." She slowly moved my hand away.

"Come on, let's finish getting ready." She said quietly. "I just hope nobody realizes what's going on between us." I nodded and sat on the bed, slipping my feet into the shoes before doing the laces up. My sunglasses floated over and I put them on. "There has to be an easier way to hide your eyes."

"I've put in an order for a special contact lens." I said. "It'll make my eye look normal. The excuse behind these is that I want to make special color contact lenses for trainers for their Pokémon when they enter Contests. Give a sort of look that makes them more unique." She sat down by me as I looked at her. I took her hand and she looked through the shades at my eyes. "So, I'm ready." She nodded and smiled as I looped my arm under hers. The long black gloves that went up her arms were beautiful, and a pair of long black stockings covered her legs. "Liz, I think you're going to make a lot of girls jealous, one way or another."

"Too bad for them." She said.

"I've only got eyes for one beautiful Gardevoir." I finished.  
…

I walked to the table and pulled back the chair for Liz. She sat down and I carefully moved her to the table. More than a few people stared at us as we walked in. Words of stunned people, men and women, about how amazing Liz looked, how refined I looked, and yet no one questioned why I was wearing my sunglasses at night indoors. I sat across from her as she looked at her menu. I opened mine and saw the one thing I hadn't had in a long time.

"Wow, such, delicious looking food." She said. "I'm not sure what I want."

"I think I'm going to have the vichyssoise and a glass of Cheri wine to start." I said calmly. "It's been far too long since I've had either.

"Vichy, what?" She asked.

"It's a rather fancy term for potato soup served cold." I said. "It's surprisingly good, made with strained leeks, onions, and potatoes in cream and chicken stock. Though, it doesn't have to be cold, it is usually made so."

"I, I'll try some too." She said quietly. I smiled.

"I said it would be different." I said. "This is a fairly high class cruise ship with five star chefs cooking everything." She nodded as I looked at the menu. "For the main course I'm probably going to have, a medium rib-eye steak, or maybe lobster. I don't think I've had that since I was a kid."

"Which is better?" She asked.

"Well, it depends on personal taste." I said. "But, I think lobster tastes better, and is probably healthier."

"I wouldn't want to order it unless I like it." She said quietly. "I'll probably just have, um." I smiled.

"If I had to recommend something, the Caesar salad with grilled chicken is rather nice." I said. She looked at me. "From time to time I did have to head back to town in order to get supplies, and sometimes I'd stay in a fancy hotel and dine indoors. Being a young teenager, I wanted to see what everyone liked, and people told me why this was good, why that was better than this, and why I should try this specific bottle of so and so. After a while I realized that it was better not to listen to those people."

"So that you could find out what you liked on your own." She said.

"That, and they always steered me toward some pretty bad choices." I said. She looked at me. "Never go for anything that doesn't look appetizing on the menu, trust me on that."

"Okay." She said. She looked at the menu. "So the, Caesar salad with grilled chicken." I nodded.

"I've had it from time to time, and it's quite good." I said. I nodded again. "I think I will go with the lobster." The waiter walked over with a smile and he looked at Liz for a moment, and I saw a small amount of annoyance and distaste in his demeanor before he quickly composed himself. He looked to be a few years older than me, with short red hair and deep green eyes.

"Good evening." He said. "I hope you are satisfied with your table."

"Yes, we are, thank you." I said.

"What may I get for you?" He asked.

"We would like to start with a couple of glasses of Cheri wine and Vichyssoise." I said. He nodded and pulled out a pad to write it down.

"Could I, have just Leppa juice, please?" Liz asked.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Pardon?" The waiter asked.

"Oh, sorry, I have translator earrings." I explained. Liz nodded. "Liz would actually prefer Leppa juice."

"I am afraid we have no juices available." He said. "Though, I am sure that one of our chefs can make some."

"I, I don't want to cause anyone any trouble." She said, lowering her head.

"I can see that you would prefer not to be a bother." He said. She looked up at him. "Don't worry, the chefs are very capable of making a few glasses of juice while they wait for their dishes to become ready." He wrote it down and I smiled. "Now, will you be dancing this evening?"

"We will." I said.

"Eh, we?" He asked.

"Yes." I said. "We. Liz and I." He nodded slowly before shrugging.

"Very well then." He said. "Will you be dancing before or after the appetizer?" I looked at Liz and she looked at the dance floor as a slow song was playing.

"Um, I, I think after." She said. "I want to have the full song."

"After." I replied. He nodded.

"What will you be having for the main course?" He asked.

"Liz wants to try the Caesar salad with grilled chicken, and I'll have the lobster." I replied. He nodded as he wrote our order down.

"Excellent choice." He said. "Enjoy your evening." He bowed before walking away. I could tell he was still irked by Liz sitting at the table with me, and I didn't need my ability to sense emotions to know.

"He, didn't seem happy." She said. "Why?"

"I think he doesn't understand why I'm dining with you." I said. "If I had to guess, I think he doesn't believe you should be sitting here at the table. He looks to be the kind of person that sees Pokémon as pets and nothing more." She sighed quietly. "Let's not let him ruin the evening."

"Right." She said. She smiled and looked at the dance floor. "We came here to dance, and have a nice dinner." I smiled as she looked at me. "What?" I just smiled wider and she giggled. "What?"

"I'm happy to see you're having a good time." I said quietly. "Times like these are the ones we need to cherish above nearly all else."

"And what would be nicer than fine dining and dancing?" A familiar voice asked. I turned to see Gardenia. Liz giggled as I stood up.

"Gardenia, it is good to see you." I said. "Please, may I offer you a seat?" She laughed quietly as I pulled back a chair. She still wore her usual attire, but she didn't seem the type that would carry formal wear on a trip like to visit the Gym Leaders to talk to them. She sat down and I pushed her chair in before sitting down again. "We had no idea you were on board, otherwise we would have looked for you."

"It's okay." She said. "I was in my room before you got on board, and I wasn't able to see you battle Blake. I heard it was a great fight." I moved my hand to the back of my head before closing my eyes and smiling.

"Well, we do what we can." I said. Lowering my arm I gestured to Liz, who proceed to blush with a faint smile. "I owe the final win to Liz."

"I heard." Gardenia said. "Dancing to avoid that Sneasel's attacks, finishing him off in a cloud of steam made from his own Ice Beam, I wish I could have been there to see you Liz."

"Thank you, but, I was just trying to have a little fun." She said.

"She says thanks, but she was just trying to have a bit of fun." I said.

"Don't be so modest Liz." Gardenia said. "From what I've heard you were magnificent. He never even touched you, and you barely seemed to try." She smiled. "What I wouldn't give to go back in time to see that. I bet Blake was just, surprised as heck to see you when that steam cloud lifted. I mean, you didn't fight in Celadon, so I was wondering about you, and now I hear you took on a dark type and won without breaking a sweat." I saw the waiter walking over with a large tray. "Maybe we could have a battle later so I can see just what you can really do."

"Well, maybe." Liz said. "If we have time."

"Maybe, if we have time later." I repeated. The waiter walked past right as Gardenia tried to talk. He set the vichyssoise down in front of us, a third for Gardenia and a second glass of Cheri wine for her as well.

"Oh, thank you." She said.

"We heard you were a friend of mister Alastor." He replied. "I hope you don't mind the chef preparing this for you in advance."

"It's okay." She said. "It looks great, thank you." He bowed and walked away as she looked at it. "So, what is this? I've never seen anything like it before." I carefully grabbed the spoon as Liz drank some of her juice.

"Vichyssoise, a potato, onion, and leek soup with cream and chicken stock." I said. "A cold soup with a rather pleasant flavor to it." She grabbed her spoon as I slowly dipped my own into my dish. Liz followed and I held the spoon up. "Bon appétit." Gardenia giggled as I spooned the soup into my mouth. It was very good, and I remembered the many times I enjoyed it a few years ago before I started surviving on sandwiches and easy to make soups. Liz lowered her spoon after tasting it while Gardenia looked at it. "Better than I remember it."

"It's really good." Liz said. "Much better than grilled cheese."

"It's, interesting." Gardenia said. "I've never tasted anything like this. I, I can't describe it."

"The chef is quite good." I said. "The last time I had this, it was almost this good. There must be something this chef added to it. Regardless, it's quite good." I grabbed the glass of wine and took a sip. "Mmm, five star indeed."

"Wow, this is the first time I've had food this good." Gardenia said.

"Me too." Liz said quietly.  
…

I stood up from the table after the appetizer, though Gardenia had been invited to the captain's table sometime before she finished her soup. She took it with her and I saw that she was still talking to him. I held my hand out to Liz and she smiled as the band prepared to start a song.

"May I have this dance?" I asked. She took my hand and slowly stood up.

"You may." She said sweetly. I led her onto the floor, with more people staring than when we walked in. We were closer to the band, mostly to hear the music better, but partly because it was closer to the table than the middle. As the band was nearly ready I placed my hands where I had been taught as a child. The music started slow and we moved slowly. She looked into my eyes as people watched us, even other couples on the dance floor. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few women crossing their arms and glaring at Liz while others whispered to each other, but my focus was on her. "This is nice."

"It is." I said quietly. "The only times I ever danced was when I was being taught as a young boy."

"You, know how Gardevoir, and Kirlia and Gallade know how to dance." She said quietly. I nodded.

"Taught from a young age by watching your parents." I said. "No one truly knows where it all started, but it is a sight to see." She nodded as we slowly moved around the floor.

"Gene, I…" She started. She looked up at me and I smiled.

"I know." I said. She smiled and moved a little bit closer.

"So, our first dance as mates." She said quietly. I smiled a little wider as she looked up at me and I saw the look in her eyes, no doubt mirrored in my own. "Gene, I love you." The song played out to the end as we danced, her head against my chest and many people staring at us. When we went back to the table we were greeted with Gardenia sitting down with a small smile.

"So, you two look like you had fun." She said.

"We did." I said. "It's been ages since I've danced. I'm amazed I was able to remember enough to keep up with Liz." I pulled the chair back as Liz sat down before carefully moving her to the table again. I sat down as the waiter walked toward us with the meal. "So, how was the captain's table?"

"It was okay, but I told him I felt like talking to you." She said. "And the table was full enough as it was. I probably wouldn't have gotten a word in edgewise. Everyone kept talking about how I was your friend, how I knew you, and they kept asking what you were like, if you were nice, why you were dancing so close to Liz." The waiter put the plates down and walked away silently while she watched him. When she looked back she seemed somewhat nervous as she lowered her voice. "They kept asking if you were a closet Poképhile." I simply laughed while Liz looked at her salad.

"People say a lot of things, and they ask a lot more." I said. She nodded while Liz slowly took her fork and began picking out pieces of chicken and salad. "Really, I wonder why everyone is so curious about me."

"Well, I heard some interesting things that I never knew about you." She said. "How your parents died, for one." I looked at her. "It must have been rough."

"At first." I said quietly. "But, I moved on and I still remember them. I can only pray that they're proud of who I've managed to become."

"I'm sure they would be." She said. "Rich but kind, humble as a man can get, and you're always so calm. It makes those people at the captain's table, even the captain himself, very curious about you. They think it's just an act." I took the claw of the lobster and cracked it carefully.

"Really, I'm like this all the time." I said. "I just try to be who I am wherever I go. I meet interesting people, I help whenever I can, and all I want out of life is to travel around and, do something worth doing."

"Like the Gym Challenge for the Indigo Plateau." Gardenia said. Liz and I nodded together. "What will you do after?"

"We thought about that a few days ago." I said. "I figured, just pin a map up, close my eyes, toss a dart, and whatever land it hits is our next destination." She nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan." She said.  
…

I sat down on the bed and untied my shoes. We'd talked to Gardenia for the better part of three hours before deciding to call it a night. Liz liked the lobster and we split it. I wasn't too hungry so it worked out rather well anyway. I'd had three more glasses of wine and Liz stuck to her juice while Gardenia went to see if she could find someone to talk to for a while.

"Gene." Liz said quietly. I looked up at her as she removed her gloves. "Tonight, tonight was really nice." I nodded.

"It truly was." I said.

"The food was really good, and it was nice to see Gardenia again." She said quietly with a small smile. "I, I can't believe I was jealous of her a few months ago." I laughed.

"Well, we made a new friend." I said. "Sure, you were a little jealous because I was talking to her, but it wasn't anything too troubling." She shook her head as she stopped smiling.

"It's just, I don't know why I was jealous of her." She said. "For some reason, I just didn't want to trust her. I thought she would have tried to take you away from me, or that she'd tell everyone about your arm and your eye. I was really, worried." She sat beside me and looked into my eyes. "I, I should have apologized while we were eating." I placed my hand on hers and she smiled slightly.

"We can tell her tomorrow." I said. "And she'll understand." She nodded as I moved my hand up her shoulder to the back of her dress. "Would you like some help with your dress, my dear?" She giggled as I slowly unzipped the back of it. It wasn't too difficult to get it on, but she liked my help since it sometimes didn't agree with her gem. She stood up and I helped her out of it while she blushed. "At least for right now, we have a good excuse." She looked back.

"For what?" She asked.

"For you being naked while I help you out of your dress." I replied. She smiled and I kissed her. She turned and moved her arms around my neck as I slowly lifted her from the floor. I turned around and slowly lowered her to the bed as I teleported my clothes to the ground by the pack. She moved her hands down to my shoulders and slowly around to my chest. I moved my right hand to her chin and slowly trailed my fingers down her neck, down her collarbone, and finally stopped less than an inch from her gem. She ended the kiss slowly and whimpered quietly. "So, have I earned this, my dear?" She nodded and I slowly ran my index finger along the top of the gem. She moaned quietly and I moved down and kissed her chin.

"Gene…" She whispered. I kissed her collar and she inhaled quietly as I slowly rubbed the gem.


	20. Love and something more

**It's been a while since the last chapter update, but not as long as it was with previous chapters. Now, I'm sure this chapter is the longest one I've written so far, though there is good reason for that. This is four normal chapters practically rolled into one really, and I honestly feel great about it. Normally I feel like my chapters aren't exactly right, like it's not up to my normal standards, but this time I feel like it may be the best chapter I could have written for the purpose it serves.**

**The thanks this time deserve individual sections I think. So first let me thank my two beta readers. DragonLord Seth, Mariokutai-Reincarnated, thank you both for bringing the mistakes to my attention. If you hadn't caught the one, I would have let quite a few go when they should never have been there in the first place.**

**Thanks also go to The Avid Gamer for his OCs Jack and Emily (Emmy), along with Grim, Vixen, and Carol. Without your characters I never would have been able to get the chapter started, let alone complete as fast as I managed. All credit to these characters goes to him.**

**Thanks go to Kaykat for Raisa Kelly and Bara. Though only a short role they played in this chapter, don't think that we've seen the last of them. We'll be sure to see them again soon. All credit for Raisa and Bara go to him.**

**Lastly, thanks go to all readers and reviewers for keeping me focused on this story. If I had lost interest, The Man with a Gallade's Arm may well have ended up a forgotten story that was never given the chance that it deserved.**

**Disclaimer: I, Lord Genesis Shadow, do not own the rights to Pokémon. If I did, I think that we would have seen the characters of Gallade's Arm in the show, even if just in passing with hints to where they would have been in the fic at the time. By association, DragonLord Seth, Mariokutai-Reincarnated, The Avid Gamer, and Kaykat do not own the rights to Pokémon.  
…**

I pulled on my gloves as Liz finished putting on her dress. I stood up and walked up to her before she turned around and quickly wrapped my arms around her. She giggled as she moved her hands to mine.

"Gene, what are you doing?" She asked. "The ship has docked. We need to go out and find a hotel." I simply smiled.

"We have our things packed, and we can spare a few moments." I said. She smiled and looked back at me. "Standing here like this, or maybe we can sit down and enjoy being close for a few moments." She giggled as I moved my hands up to her midsection and face near hers. "Who knows when we'll have time to be this close in the near future?" I inhaled and smelled a little bit of her perfume from the night before.

"Down boy." She said sweetly. I smirked.

"I can't like your perfume?" I asked innocently. She giggled and I closed my eyes as she moved her hands to mine again, but she didn't move them away.

"It reminds you of a certain, something, if I recall correctly." She said quietly. I inhaled slowly again and she giggled again.

"Whenever I smell roses, I smell you." I said. "In this case…" She kissed my lips before I could finish the sentence and I responded by hugging her a little tighter. "I've always loved the smell of roses." I opened my eyes and she was looking into them and I could tell she was still smiling. "And I love you." She giggled. "When you wear your perfume, not that you don't smell wonderful on your own mind you, I can hardly help myself." She sighed quietly and set her forehead against mine.

"Five minutes." She said quietly. "Then we should go find our hotel."

"Sounds like a plan." I said. "Then we can do this again, maybe?" She giggled and playfully swatted my hand.

"Maybe." She said playfully. "If we're alone." She closed her eyes and I followed. After a few minutes of listening to her breathing I opened my eyes. With all my outdoor experience I had a good enough sense of time if I paid attention, so I knew our five minutes were up faster than I wanted them to be. She opened her eyes and leaned back as I reluctantly let go of her, but I moved in and kissed her. She sighed and rolled her eyes with a smile. "You're hopeless." I smiled.

"When it comes to you at least." I said. I reached into my duster and grabbed my sunglasses. Looking at her as I put them on, she just put her hand to her mouth and giggled. I couldn't help laughing a bit myself as I pulled my backpack on. "Okay, okay, come on now. We'd better get going. I want to find that hotel soon." She just smiled and opened the door. She walked out and I followed her. But when I walked out I felt her emotions behind me so after closing the door I simply held my right arm out slightly. As I had expected, she walked up to me and looped her arm through the small gap and set her hand on my elbow. I smiled and started walking. There were still a few people getting off, but I couldn't see Gardenia anywhere. As we reached the boarding walkway I looked down and something felt strange in the air. I looked down and saw a man wearing an outfit that just drew my eyes straight to him. I lowered my voice to a whisper, though no one else was around. "Do you see him?"

"I do." She said quietly. "But, her." I looked to the left of the man and saw something that made me nearly stop. Next to him was a Gardevoir, but she wasn't shiny like Liz. Her hair, the upper part of her dress, and gloves were all red, and her gem was blue. She even wore a set of red stockings, part of her dress likely, though most of her dress was white. "I've never seen a red Gardevoir before, nor have I ever heard of one."

"There was nothing that Nurse Joy told us either." I said. At halfway down the walkway I looked at the man again as he adjusted an American military cap. He wore a black tee shirt and a black denim jacket, along with black denim finger gloves with chains on his wrists. He wore black denim jeans with a silver chain hanging on the right side from the right side, with a pair of black leather boots, like those one might see on a biker, with a strange insignia on the sides reading 'Outlaws'. I saw a bright silver chain around his neck, with a pendant. He started walking toward the walkway with the red Gardevoir close to him, though not as close as Liz was to me. I then noticed that he wore glasses. Prescription glasses, with the new transition lenses that turned regular glasses into sunglasses when exposed to a certain amount of light. Upon making the last few steps I looked at him and saw the look in his eyes. 'A battle it is. I guess it couldn't hurt, if Liz is ready for it.' We stepped down and Liz increased her grip on my arm slightly. His eyes were bright red and he was about two inches taller than me. The pendant on his necklace was a silver heart, maybe one that opened to hold a picture on each side. "I take it you want a battle." He nodded. I thought about the nearby water and figured Garth hadn't battled in a long time. "Mind if I step into the Pokémon Center for a few minutes? I've got a Water Pokémon who hasn't battled in a long time, and since we're near water I'm sure he'd appreciate the chance."

"Go ahead." He said. He nodded his head to his right. "There's a good spot over there, kind of private. I hear that you tend to draw crowds." I nodded as his Gardevoir looked at Liz, and Liz looked her over. He started walking and his Gardevoir followed him while we walked toward the Pokémon Center.

"He seems, oddly calm." Liz said quietly. "I wonder why he wants to battle us."

"Maybe he heard that we beat Sabrina and wants to see if he can beat us." I said. "Maybe he wants to see if he can win against her as well." She nodded.

"Perhaps." She said quietly. "Or, maybe he just wants to see if his Gardevoir can beat me. It wouldn't be surprising to think that a Pokémon that is of a different color than the norm might be stronger. I am, shiny, and she is, red. I've never heard stories of red Gardevoir, I have never seen one, and I don't believe there are any legends of them. I think, anyway." I slowly put my hand on hers.

"Well, if he thinks that such a cosmetic state makes her stronger than you." I said. She smiled. "Then we'll have to teach him that such a thing won't make a difference against you." She nodded as I pat her hand lightly a few times.  
…

When we arrived at the place the mysterious challenger told us to be, he had his team out already. On his left side was his Gardevoir, and to his right were three Pokémon.

First was a Houndoom, a powerful dark and fire canine Pokémon. This one was clearly male, with large bony horns on his head, strong looking rib-like bony protrusions on his sides, and a long thin tail. He looked decidedly stronger than most Houndoom I'd seen before.

Next to the Houndoom was a small Vulpix. She looked like a shiny Vulpix, with golden yellow fur, orange tails, and the hair on her head was also orange. Her eyes were like those of the Houndoom.

Directly beside this Vulpix was a Ninetails, but this one had the same color as a normal Vulpix. Somehow I couldn't help but notice the Vulpix though. She seemed like she might have been the kit of the two Pokémon on either side of her.

"Thanks for showing up." The man said as we reached our spot. On the ground someone had created a fairly well made replica of a Pokémon battle arena.

"No problem." I replied. "I'd guess you already know who I am." He nodded.

"We do." He said. "We heard that you beat Sabrina." I rubbed the back of my head.

"Let me guess." I said. "The news." He nodded. "Well, don't put too much stock in what they said. I really do care for my friends. They just wanted it to look strange that I was helping Liz walk to the Pokémon center to see the rest of the team. She was tired…"

"And she used too much power with a Dark Pulse." He finished. I nodded and he smiled slightly. "I've seen it happen before." His Gardevoir nodded with a small smile. "You know, I guess I might have seemed a little, eager for this battle." He laughed and I smiled. "Really, I just want to see how we stack up to you. We're planning on taking the League Challenge, so when we heard about you having beaten Sabrina we figured we'd challenge you. If we can at least get close to winning, we'll head out and challenge Koga, then Erika, and then Sabrina. That'll do it for our badges." I smiled as I lowered my arm.

"Sounds good to me." I said. Liz nodded with a smile. "So, mind if I ask for a name?" He laughed.

"Sorry, I do that sometimes." He said. "We were just excited to hear that you were on the ship. One of the guys at the ticket booth said that he was excited to be getting on the same boat that _the_ Zero Alastor had been on, getting a room right next to he stayed." He smiled wider. "I'm Jack 'The Flame' Flax." He moved his left arm around his Gardevoir's shoulders, making her giggle quietly. "This is Emmy."

"Emily." She whispered to him.

"Nice to meet you Jack." I said. I tipped my hat forward. "Emily." She looked at me and Jack laughed.

"So, you really do have a translator." He said. I laughed quietly and tapped the earring while his other Pokémon looked at each other and then at me. He looked at them. "Guys, why don't you handle your introductions?" They nodded and the Ninetails stood up.

"I'm Vixen, or Vixie for short." She said, bowing her head. I tipped my hat again and Liz smiled while the Houndoom stood up.

"I'm Grim." He said calmly. He bowed forward and we did as well. When we stood the Vulpix had moved behind the Ninetails. He looked at her and laughed quietly as Vixie looked back at her. "That is Carol, our daughter." I smiled.

"I had a feeling." I said. Liz nodded and smiled as well.

"So, do we get to meet the rest of your team as well?" Jack asked. I pulled out the Pokéballs and opened all but Garth's. They all looked around as I pointed the last ball to the sidelines and opened it. When Garth appeared he growled quietly before looking down at me. He moved over and I put my hand to his forehead gently.

"Hey Garth." I said. "Looks like you'll be up for a battle soon." He growled quietly but didn't say anything.

"Whoa." Jack said. I looked at him as he laughed. "I heard about him, but I didn't think… He's bigger than I thought. He's at least three feet longer than a regular Gyarados." Garth growled appreciatively. I guessed he just doesn't like to talk. Jack looked at the rest of the team as I pat Garth's head. He moved behind us as I looked over at him.

"So, four on four, or how do you want to do this?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I was thinking three on three." He said. "Carol isn't ready to battle yet, but she likes to watch her parents." Vixie stood up and walked onto the field.

"Vulpix?" I asked. Vulpix nodded and walked onto the field as well. Vixie smiled slightly.

"This should be interesting." She said coolly.

"Whenever you're ready." I said.

"Okay Vixie, start off with a Flamethrower!" Jack called. Vixie opened her mouth and I saw the flames so I smiled.

"G, go mom!" Carol called.

"FT." I said calmly. Vulpix opened her mouth and quickly launched hers before Vixie did, but the attack left Vixie's mouth fast enough to stop the attack and push it back, though they had to stop to catch their breath before long. "QA." Vulpix ran forward rapidly and Jack seemed confused. Carol kept calling out with words of encouragement.

"Okay, Confuse Ray!" He called. Vixie's eyes began glowing so I decided a change of strategy was called for.

"FA." I said calmly. Vulpix vanished as Vixie's eyes went back to normal. She looked around slowly as Jack seemed visibly concerned. 'He's nervous. He's never seen my style before. Good to know.'

"Careful Vixie, she's tougher than we thought." He said quickly. I saw Grim talking to Carol, likely explaining how the battle was going, how Faint Attack worked most likely. Vulpix appeared behind Vixie in a jump and she spun forward, kicking her in the back. Vixie stumbled forward and turned around. "Body Slam!" Vixie jumped up and began moving down so Vulpix just jumped away. "What? Uh, Swift!" A group of stars appeared from Vixie's tails and began flying at Vulpix, who dodged a good number of them before they started pelting her. She still dodged nearly half of it before she jumped back. She barely seemed annoyed by it.

"ES." I called calmly. Vulpix moved further back and her eyes began glowing blue.

"Counter with Ominous Wind!" Jack called. A dark wind began blowing toward Vulpix, who struggled against it. Vixie was raised into the air slowly and was thrown back a few feet. Vulpix looked okay, so I smiled slightly.

"PB." I called. Vulpix ran forward rapidly and Jack was visibly worried.

"Endure!" He said quickly. Emmy, Grim, and Carol all seemed worried as Vulpix slammed into Vixie almost viciously. Vixie hit the ground as Vulpix moved back. She stood up shakily, clearly just having managed to take the hit. "Pain Split." My eyes went wide as Vixie's eyes began glowing and Vulpix cried out in pain.

"Pain Split?" Mawile asked.

"It causes a somewhat parasitic bond between the contenders." I explained. "It causes the user to recover strength based on how much strength the opponent still has. In a sense it causes the opponent to unwillingly give them much of their remaining strength to put them on an even level. Right now, Vulpix and Vixie have the same amount of strength." I felt Liz becoming concerned so I put my hand on hers. "Okay Vulpix, this might be the last move." Jack seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Vulpix looked tired, so I made my choice. "Flail." It was one of the only moves I couldn't put to two letters. Vulpix ran forward, ready to hit as hard as she could with her move.

"Body Slam!" Jack called. Vixie avoided Vulpix at the last second with a back flip, and she landed hard on top of Vulpix, causing her to cry out. When Vixie got up Vulpix struggled for a moment before falling. I grimaced slightly but sighed. Vixie walked over to Grim, who affectionately nuzzled her for a few moments. "Man, I thought you had me there." Vulpix hovered over to us, no doubt by Liz's psychic power. I held out my arms as she moved Vulpix over to me. She looked up at me weakly and I slowly began petting her.

"You did great Vulpix." I said quietly. She smiled along with me and Liz. I pulled a small spray potion from my pack and sprayed her with it as Grim walked over to the field. When I was done spraying her injuries I set her down and she smiled. Carol looked over at us and then up at her mother. "Okay, Garth, I think we can use type advantage." I looked back as Garth moved onto the field. Jack just laughed as Grim wagged his tail.

"Size advantage as well." Jack called. "Sheesh, he is one big Gyarados." I smiled. "Whenever you're both ready." Garth didn't know the letter calling tactics yet, so I'd have to give orders the regular way.

"Thunder." I called. Garth began glowing with electricity and Jack's mouth went wide and he stuttered for a moment.

"Bite!" He said quickly. The lightning strike hit very near Grim as he took off, and he dodged several before jumping and biting Garth as hard as he could. Garth shook quickly and began coiling. "Jump back, quick!"

"Dad, be careful!" Carol called. Grim jumped back as Garth finished coiling. It would be easier to retaliate at least. But I didn't order it. He seemed kind of mad.

'Dragon Rage is too dangerous in a city.' I thought. 'Twister would be a bad idea as well. The best option here would be…' I nodded. "Hyper Beam."

"Dodge it!" Jack called. Garth fired the golden beam and it hit close to Grim, but missed by enough. Garth panted and Jack smiled. "Hit him with your own Hyper Beam!" I grimaced as Grim readied the beam and fired it, hitting Garth in the face. He fell over a bit but caught himself before roaring. He moved from the field and suddenly jumped up and landed in the water. He could survive out of water easily, but he was more at home _under_water. "Hey, why did he do that?" I put my hand to my face and groaned.

"I think he's mad at me." I said. "He's working on his own now."

"Is that what he said?" He asked.

"No, he just roared." I sighed. "Grim, you'll want to be careful if you want to keep fighting. I think Garth has just about had enough of me for one day."

"This isn't good." Liz said quietly. "Why would he be so mad?"

"I didn't tell him to dodge." I said. "We didn't have him with us during our training before our battle with Koga. I forgot that he wasn't taught to dodge on his own, and now he's decided that he'll be better at his choices."

"Be careful daddy." Carol said.

"Okay, we can win this." Jack said. "Use Shadow Ball when you see him." I put my hand back to my forehead and lowered my hat. Grim looked into the water and I felt like laughing.

"This won't end well for Grim." I said.

"Why?" Jack asked. Without any time to warn him, a large burst of water shot out hitting Grim right in the face, flinging him back a great distance, soaked to the bones inside his body. He stumbled up and sputtered while he shook some of the water away. Garth came out of the water, roared, and I saw more electricity. It hurt him, but the lighting that shot toward Grim must have hurt worse. Grim was thrown aside, twitching for a moment before he set his head on the ground. Garth climbed out of the water and looked at Grim before moving over to me. "Oh, man, that was just, brutal." I nodded and looked up at Garth.

"Sorry Garth." I said. He looked down at me. "I forgot that you didn't have the same training as the others. I told them all to dodge every attack they can. I forgot to tell you that." He lowered his head and growled quietly, apologetically. I put my hand on his head again and he growled quietly. "Don't worry, we'll help you catch up soon. I'm sorry we forgot about that." He moved back behind us and Emmy stepped forward. Grim hovered over to Jack, who pulled out a Revive and used it. "So Liz, what do you say?" Liz stepped forward with a smile. They bowed to each other and Jack smiled as well while Grim stood up and walked over to his mate and daughter.

"Good luck Emmy." Carol said. Emmy turned slightly to look at Carol with a smile before looking at Liz.

"Good luck Elizabeth." She said.

"Good luck to you as well Emily." Liz replied.

"Okay, ready." Jack said. I brought up a few emotions quickly for Double Team, Calm Mind, and Future Sight. Liz and I nodded together and Jack pointed at Liz. "Start with Shadow Ball."

'Return fire with one of your own.' I thought, bringing that emotion up as well. Liz and Emmy were almost mirroring each other as they charged the ghostly energy. They threw the attacks, which collided and pushed against each other before exploding. 'Now Psybeam through the smoke.' Liz charged the attack as the smoke suddenly cleared.

"Use…" Jack started. Before he could finish his order Liz had fired the Psybeam, causing both he and Emmy to watch before Emmy threw up a barrier to block the beam. It worked at first but the beam punched through. It was thinner than usual, but also much more focused to a single point. This added a lot of power to it, as well as a great deal more force when it hit. Emmy stepped back slightly, but the attack didn't do the full damage. "How did she do that?"

"We Gardevoir don't normally learn how to use Psybeam." Emmy said. I suddenly realized that fact. It was something that I never really thought about, since Liz had shown me when she was just a Ralts. She had been proud of the attack but I didn't think overly much on it.

"You know what, you're right Emily." I said. Jack and Liz looked at me. "Liz, I never asked before, because I didn't think much of it, but how did you learn to use Psybeam?" She blushed.

"I, met an Abra as a child, and she knew how to use it." She explained. "She taught me how to channel my psychic energies into a focused beam." She looked ahead. "I guess, I never thought about it either, and I forgot that I had tried to explain that to you as a Ralts." I took off my hat and scratched my head as the others looked at me.

"Well, you learn something new every day." I said. She laughed quietly. "Well, on with the battle I guess." Jack shook his head as I put my hat back on.

"Right." He said. "Emmy, use Hypnosis." I went to call for Liz to close her eyes but I suddenly began to get drowsy as Liz's head began lowering. I went to talk when my eyes closed involuntarily. When I opened them I saw Liz looking back at me.

"What's going on?" I asked. My voice seemed to carry as though it were echoing.

"Okay, now use Focus Blast!" Jack's voice called. We looked at him and Liz gasped, teleporting out of the way of the attack. "What? She's asleep. How did she dodge that?" The attack struck the water and created a tall column.

"Liz, you're asleep." I said. She looked at me but I saw her body a few feet from her. "Uh, look." She looked at her body and put her hands to her mouth. "Well, it looks like, you're able to avoid attacks while you're asleep. And, how did I get here?" She looked at the battle and I shrugged. "Can you attack from here?" She moved her arms up but her body didn't follow.

"No, I can't." She said.

"Maybe Psychic?" I suggested. "We're in the dream world, but you can move, so maybe your psychic powers will work in the real world."

"Use Wish while we've got the time." Jack called. "Then follow up with a Shadow Ball." Liz focused on Emmy as she made her body teleport away from the Shadow Ball, and suddenly Emmy hovered into the air and was thrown aside. "Man, she's one tough Gardevoir." Emmy stood up and he snapped his fingers. "Dream Eater!" Emmy smiled wickedly and focused on Liz for a moment. Suddenly a shadow of Emmy appeared near Liz's dream body and Liz just smiled.

"Coming into my dream uninvited?" She asked tauntingly. The shadow stepped back as Liz drew back her right fist, now covered in flames as per my emotional order of Fire Punch. She struck the shadow and it vanished, but Emmy as thrown back with a few licks of flame touching her. Suddenly I opened my eyes again and the world had returned to normal. Liz stepped back as she opened her eyes. She was excited, but something still felt off about her abilities. She seemed a bit less focused, though not by much. "Not bad Emily, but not good enough." Emmy stood up and shook her head, looking over at Jack.

"Dreams of a Psychic Pokémon that likes to fight can get a little rough." I called. Liz looked at me for a moment before looking back.

"I'll remember that later." Jack said. "For now, use Psychic!" Liz hovered before using her own Psychic attack to dispel it. Without warning the air shuddered around Emmy and the sound of a thunderclap was heard before she was thrown aside harshly. But just as she hit the ground she began getting up rapidly. Her Wish had healed her. "Okay, Hyper Beam!" Liz braced herself as Emmy raised her arms, her blue gem glowing brightly before the gold beam formed in her hands. I bit my lip and thought of something.

'Psychic to slam it into the ground.' I thought. Liz looked at me as the beam began firing. She looked back and focused for a moment before the beam suddenly crashed into the ground, creating a deep line depression of a crater. I felt a surge of confidence as I tried to think of a way to end the fight quickly. 'Shadow Ball while she recovers.' Liz charged the ball and threw it, but Emmy jumped aside and the sphere of darkness hit the ground right at where her feet were. I bit my lip and Liz looked at me. In her eyes she was asking for permission to fight on her own, so I nodded, though not enough for Jack or Emmy to see.

"Come on Emmy!" Carol called. "You can do it!" She jumped up and barked. "Go get her!" Vixie barked as well while Grim howled.

"Go Liz!" Mawile yelled. "You're stronger than Emmy is!"

"I concur!" Sting said. I looked to see him buzzing his wings quickly while he held up his forestingers. "You cannot lose!"

"Give it all you've got Liz!" Vulpix called. Garth roared as well.

"Wow, I feel, out-cheered." Emmy said with a laugh. She looked back at Jack and he nodded. She smiled as she looked back. Liz and Emmy began teleporting, trading Shadow Ball attacks and the occasional Psybeam and Focus Blast collided and created explosions. The area was full of smoke and I could sense both Liz and Emmy, though I could also see their silhouettes against the smoke.

"Come on Emmy!" Jack called. I sent encouraging emotions but thought that it wasn't enough.

"You've got her Liz!" I called. "You're doing great!" She sent back a lot of joy, but also a bit of something else. She was having a lot of fun, and I could feel it radiating from Emmy as well. As I went to cheer her on further a bunch of glowing leaves whipped past me, causing me to throw out a barrier to deflect them away from myself and the others beside me, but the wind from the Magical Leaf attack caused the smoke to clear quickly. Liz and Emmy were both covered in scratches, scrapes, and I saw more than a few bruises on Emmy and burns on Liz. 'Geeze, they're both going all out on this.' I could tell they were both having fun though, despite that they looked very tired from the fighting. A few moments passed and they both raised their right hands.

"I, concede." They said simultaneously. Jack and I smiled.

"Looks like a tie." We said together. We laughed as Liz and Emmy walked over to us. I hugged Liz, making her gasp.

"That was amazing Liz." I said. "You were fantastic." She returned the hug as Jack hugged Emmy.

"Great Job Emmy." He said. "Sabrina's nothing compared to these two, and you did great against her. When we fight her, she'll go down easy." Emmy giggled as she stepped back from him. I let Liz go and she smiled.

"That was, fun." She said quietly. "I wouldn't mind a rematch though." She turned as she used Recover.  
…

Liz and I had walked around, but the hotels were all full up, completely. We were ready to go to the Pokémon Center and we saw an old man, a hippie by his attire, walking toward us.

"Looking for a hotel?" He asked. We nodded. "Too bad they're all full up with tourists. But you don't strike me as tourists."

"We came here to battle Blaine for a badge." I replied. "But yeah, the hotels are just filled, with reservations as well." He nodded and crossed his arms.

"Do you know why there are so many tourists here?" He asked. I shrugged. "What do tourists think is hot _and_ cool?" I thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know." Liz said quietly, putting her hand to her chin. I snapped my fingers.

"Hot springs." I replied. The hippie laughed.

"That's exactly right." He said. "The volcano creates a lot of natural hot springs, so the whole island started bringing in tourists. More and more came until one day the entire island was overrun with them. Soon only tourists came by, barring the very rare visit from a Pokémon trainer."

"What happened to the Gym then?" I asked. He smiled and chuckled quietly.

"It's where you put your sunglasses." He said. Liz blinked and I thought about my shades, my eyes. I snapped my fingers.

"In front of my eyes." I said.

"Ding, ding, ding." He said. "In front of your eyes." I looked around and saw a burned down building, caved in and ruined. "Yes, that's the remains of the old Gym." Liz put her hand in front of her mouth. "No one was hurt, but after all the tourists came by, none of them wanting badges, Blaine got tired and bored. He felt like there was no need to rebuild the Gym if no one would come by for a battle. Sometimes trainers come by, but when they see that the Gym was burned down they just left, saying that there were more Gyms. Really, there are over a dozen Gyms in the area, not all fully sanctioned, but if they give away a badge, then the League apparently is fully willing to accept it as proof of a Gym victory." He laughed quietly. "Still, I think Blaine would much rather battle people who are serious about winning, and since so many trainers decide that they'd rather opt for finding another Gym to challenge, he might be waiting somewhere, for serious trainers who are ready to find him and challenge him." I nodded as Liz lowered her arm. "Tell you what." He pulled out a card and held it out to me. "There's an inn not too far from here that's downright empty. This'll tell you where it is." I took it and we looked down at it. When we looked up he was gone. I reached up and scratched my head for a moment.

"Wow." I said. "The man knows how to get around." Liz nodded as I looked at the card for a moment before looking at the Gym. My eye twitched and Liz looked at the ruins before looking at me. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I see that the, door, is the only part that really survived." She nodded. "Still big. Even destroyed, the big door survives. I just cannot figure this out."

"You will one day." She said quietly. "One day we'll find the answer to why the door is big." I sighed.

"Well, I'll just guess that it's tradition or something." I said. "Build a Gym, rebuild it, remodel it, but a big door probably has to be in the blueprints for _something_." I shook my head as she put her hands together in front of her. I looked down at the card. On the front was the name of the inn, the Big Riddle Inn. On the front was nothing more than that, a picture of a small building, and a riddle. "Yet another riddle from the old man." She nodded and looked at it. "If you look near the swingset, you'll see my hands, or at least my face." I thought about it for a moment.

"A clock." A young female voice said.

We looked together to see a young girl, about seven years old and just shy of four feet tall, wearing a white dress that ended at her mid thigh with red ribbons on it and a pair of biking shorts just visible. She didn't wear shoes, but I saw that there was a pair of ballet slippers tied off to one of the ribbons around her waist. She had a red ribbon in her hair and a red rose next to it by her right ear. She had short white hair with the bangs hanging just above her eyes. I saw a pair of small blue rose earrings in her ears. She had kind of an, elfish face with no expression, though she was somewhat pale though obviously not a sickly pale. Her right eye was red, but the left was green. I thought of my own eyes for some reason at the sight.

I heard a quiet grunt and we looked to see a Roserade between her and Liz. He was odd though in his coloration. Instead of the usual shade of green he was more of a yellowish green, and the flowers on his wrists were both black.

"A clock?" I repeated. She nodded and pointed behind us, so we looked. "A playground… Oh, I see. A swingset would be on a playground." I looked up slightly and saw a clock and turned to the girl. "Thank you." She nodded and looked at the Roserade.

"I'm Raisa." She said. "Raisa Kelly." She stepped up to the Roserade, who looked at her as she looked at him. He was a full foot shorter than she was, but he smiled when he looked at her. "This is Bara." She bowed and he followed before they both stood up and started walking, though she held her arms out to her sides. "Bye." As she walked away I looked at Liz, who looked at me. I crossed my arms and we looked at Raisa and Bara as they walked off, now both holding their arms out to their sides.

"We meet the most interesting people." I mused. Liz slowly took my arm and I looked at her with a smile.

"Indeed." She said. "So, should we go see what this clock means? I think we're supposed to go to it, if she was right." I nodded and we started walking together.  
…

We walked into the inn and we were met by the same old hippie that had given us the card.

"Well, congratulations." He said. "You figured out my riddle." He smiled as we walked up to him. "For figuring out my riddle I'll give you a room for free as long as you're on the island." He walked behind the desk and pulled out a book and set it in front of us with a pen. He opened it and I looked at it briefly, seeing a familiar name. "What is it?"

"I know this guy." I said, pointing the end of the pen to the name. "Jack." Liz looked at it. "We battled him before we started looking for a hotel." He smiled.

"He showed up about twenty minutes before you did." He said. "He was looking for Blaine too. He figured out my riddles, and he has a free room as well." He seemed in thought. "You know, he had a Pokémon just like this one." Liz blushed. "Only she had a red dress and hair with a blue gem in her chest." He went to touch her gem when I held my hand in the way, clearing my throat.

"That gem helps with her psychic powers." I explained. "And it's used during her species' mating." He pulled his hand back with his eyebrows up.

"Sorry." He said sincerely. I signed my name in and he raised his brows up further. "Oh, Mr. Alastor. I heard that you were here. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you." I laughed quietly.

"I wish more people didn't sometimes." I said. "You know?" He laughed and handed me a room key.

"We'll be serving dinner around seven." He said. "Apart from you two, and Jack and Emmy, I'm the only one here." Liz tapped my shoulder and I looked at her before handing her the pen with a smile. She wrote her name carefully with a small smile.

"Thanks." I said. He nodded as Liz set the pen down. He gave a casual salute and walked away. I looked at the key and nodded. "Should be…" I looked to my left and she giggled quietly. "This way." She giggled more as I looked back to see the old man walking through a doorway. I grinned evilly and moved my arm around her waist, making her squeak in surprise.

"Gene." She said. I lowered my shades with my psychic power and winked, making her smile as she looked back. "Be careful. He might still hear us." I walked with her down the hall and saw the numbers. We were in forty two.

"Forty two." I said. She smiled as we walked down. I counted the doors off for a few minutes before we got to the forties. "Forty, forty one… Here we are." I inserted the key and heard movement inside, hurried movement. I looked at Liz and she seemed confused. I felt worry and confusion from within. I opened the door and saw Jack walking out from what was apparently the bathroom.

"Uh, hey." He said. "Oh, Gene, it's you." He smiled as Emmy walked out calmly from nearby him.

"Hi Jack." I said. "I knew you were here, but…" I looked at the key and held it up. "I think there's some kind of mix up." He looked at the key and pulled his own key out of his pocket. "Maybe the owner thought that since we knew each other we'd be okay sharing a room." He laughed and put the key back. "I'll go get another." Emmy put her hand on Jack's shoulder and looked at me with a small smile.

"It's okay." She said. Jack shrugged.

"Hey, we're friends." He said. "No big deal. Two beds, I guess we can, you know, back to back while the girls share the other bed." I laughed.

"Hey, calm down." I said. "I'll take the couch." Liz walked in beside me. "Liz, do you mind sharing a bed with Emmy?"

"Emmy, do you mind?" She asked.

"We're friends." She replied. We all laughed and walked in, but as the door closed my duster got caught and I stumbled slightly and my right arm slid out while my shades fell to the ground. Emmy gasped and Jack stared. "G, Gene, your, your arm, and your eye?" I laughed quietly.

"Let's just say I don't drink." I said. "Tattoos. Eye tattoos are expensive, but then, they call me Zero for a reason." I laughed as I opened the door and pulled my jacket in while Liz picked up my sunglasses.

"Really?" Jack asked. "Tattoos for your eyes, but you only did one?" I pulled the jacket sleeve on and Liz handed me the shades, which I put in the inside pocket.

"Like I said, I don't drink." I said calmly. They laughed quietly and looked at my arm. "At the time, I was a little out of it, so I asked for a tattoo on my right arm, from the wrist to the shoulder." I removed the jacket and hung it on the door. They stared at it as I retracted the small bump while it wasn't in view. I held up my arm and they looked at it. "And my eye, well, if you look hard enough you can find just about anything you want. At the time, I heard someone saying my eyes were red, especially the right one." I laughed. "Well, as I was still out of it I found a place that did ocular tattoos, a special recolor of the iris, at a very steep price. Fifty thousand up front." Jack whistled. "Like I said, they call me Zero for a reason."  
…

A few minutes of talking in the room led to Jack and I telling stories about our past battles. He had been training much longer than I had been, and we laughed at some of the close calls. I told him a bit about the training we'd done and he was amazed by it, saying that he never would have thought of it. The fact that he was nearly as in tune with Emmy as I was with Liz made him think about the emotional orders so he could save both time and effort on both of their parts. Somehow all of the talking led to Emmy suggesting we enjoy the hot springs out back. How it happened I'm still not sure, but I agreed to it after dinner when the old man went to bed. I discovered that Jack had burn scars on his right arm and leg, and a good deal on his torso. Probably from Grim during their early training.

"Wow, this is nice." Jack said. I moved into the water and felt quite content.

"Yeah, real nice." I said calmly. I closed my eyes and slid down a little bit more. "Really nice." I sighed quietly and heard the girls talking just past the divider.

"So, you've known Liz for a while." He said. I nodded. "It's amazing how much you've bonded in such a short time."

"Yeah, but Liz and I, we met under strange circumstances." I said. I held my right hand up, showing him the X scar on both sides. "Her father, a strong Gallade, let me bring her along with me in exchange for these reminders." I gestured to the scar going down my right eye. "It was worth it though. We're really close. She's my best friend, and I'm thankful that her father let me bring her with me with such a small cost." He laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, yeah." He said. "Most fathers wouldn't let their daughters go without a big ceremony, if you get my drift." I laughed with him as I stretched.

"He seemed okay with it though." I said. "He let me keep her close by, and I could tell even then that he trusted me with her safety. Sure I, let him down a bit when I fought Sabrina, but she wasn't even really hurt or in danger. She was just tired." He nodded as I looked up at the sky. "Still, I'm lucky to have a friend like Liz. She'll always be there for me, I can tell. And I'll always be there for her."

"Gardevoir will do anything to protect their friends." He said. "So do Gallade." I looked at him as he gestured to my arm. "That arm, kind of looks like it's as green. And your right eye is as red as the eye of a Gallade." I smiled slightly. "You may be human, but I get the feeling that her trust in you is well placed, like your trust with her, or mine with Emmy's or her trust with me." I nodded and smiled wider. After a moment I looked back up.

"So, any other friends of yours out there you'd share this with?" I asked.

"Not really." He said. "I don't make that many friends, any really, other than you and my team. Really I just, wanted to catch a Houndour as my first Pokémon, and it took me a long time, six years like." I looked at him. "I've always loved fire. I guess it shows with most of my team. I just, like to watch a fire, listen to the flames crackle and, enjoy the heat and light of it. It's beautiful, like it's really alive, you know." I nodded. I liked fire as well, though probably not as much as he clearly did. "It got me in trouble though, when I was a kid." I looked over at him. "I was playing with some matches in my house, and I heard a noise and ran up to my room. I ended up, leaving one match lit near the box of them, and it, caught the rug on fire somehow. The next thing I know I'm being carried out of the house by a fireman and someone puts an oxygen mask over my face to help me breathe. Morning came by the time the fire was out and I learned that my parents, well, they weren't so lucky. They were, gone before the fire crew got there and saved me. Smoke inhalation." I looked down slightly. "I went to live with my aunt and uncle for a year or two, and when I left to become a trainer I decided that I'd, still play with fire, just a lot more carefully. It took me a long time to find a Houndour, but when I found Grim I knew he would be my first Pokémon, my strongest, and after a long time of chasing him down I managed to catch him with a regular Pokéball. Took me three tries and I had to fix the ball repeatedly, but it was worth it." He laughed. "After a few weeks I managed to win a few battles, betting my money on my own wins, and I managed to scrape up enough to by another Pokéball. I went off to find another Pokémon, deciding on finding, well, like a Ponyta or something, but instead I found this bright red haired Ralts. She was scared, but when she saw Grim fighting off a wild Ponyta for me I decided that maybe she'd be the better choice. After all, Psychic Pokémon are some of the best out there in terms of ability. Some people say that they're too hard to train, that you have to have at least a small measure of psychic power on your own." He leaned toward me. "But, between you and me, I never knew until I met Emmy that I had the gift. I looked at her, she looked at me, and when Grim finished beating the Ponyta on his own he looked at the both of us as I held out the ball. It was l, like we were meant to be friends." He seemed kind of nervous at that point. "But, after a few years, she finally evolved, and we caught Vixie. At the time she was an odd colored Vulpix. She had the color of a Ninetails, but she was clearly a Vulpix. Well, we caught her and one day I found a fire stone and showed it to Vixie, and she put her paw on it and evolved. She must have really wanted to." He shrugged. "Couldn't tell you one way or the other on that." A greater nervous energy filled my mind, but I couldn't pinpoint it. Three sources, and after a few seconds I made the number rise up to four. "So, anyway, we're travelling around Johto at the time, and we're getting beat up pretty bad by most of the Gym leaders and even some of the trainers, so we figured we'd come here. But, some things happened and we couldn't go anywhere. A bunch of people in strange outfits were bothering my family in Sinnoh so we had to go back. Long story short, this group of losers calling themselves Team, uh, Team… Something." He laughed. "It's been so long I don't really remember." I laughed quietly.

"Team Rocket?" I suggested. He shook his head.

"Similar, but not nearly as scary with the outfits." He said. "White suits, really freaky hair, and they kept spouting gibberish about gathering energy to create a new world or something. It made absolutely no sense." He shook his head again. "So, we take these losers on with the help of a lot of other trainers, and I never got to know any of them really. But one day, Emmy's fighting this really high up guy when she just evolves in the middle of the battle, and she just…" He laughed. "Ruins the guy. She totally ruined his team with just a flick of her wrist. Just…" He moved his hand out and a bit of water splashed a distance away. Not much, but enough for me to get the point so I nodded. "Wipes him out, and he runs off. The whole bunch packs up and leaves almost overnight, and we haven't heard much about them lately." He shrugged. "Anyway, that was about four months ago, and in that time we grew closer, and we came over here two months ago and started battling the Gyms here." He looked at me. "You know, I heard that the leader of the Pewter Gym left it to his dad." I blinked. "Didn't you hear?" I shook my head. "He left with some kid with a Pikachu apparently, and he left the Gym to be run by his old man."

"Kid with…" I said slowly. I snapped my fingers. "Ash Ketchum?" He nodded. "I know him. He's a good kid. Did he get the badge from Brock before he left?" He nodded.

"Yeah, and then he went to Cerulean." He explained. "Turned out that this orange haired girl he was travelling with was the long lost fourth Sensational Sister." I whistled.

"Misty, right?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah." He said. "He battled her, but in the middle of it all these two people from Team Rocket bust in with this mega vacuum cleaner and a talking Meowth and try to steal the Pokémon from the Gym, but he stopped them. They gave him the badge, but I didn't hear much else." He shrugged as I laughed quietly, remembering the Meowth. Oddly enough the nervous feeling returned a bit, but not as much. It was the girls most likely, maybe nervous that we might be trying to peek in on them. "He beat the Vermillion Gym shortly after you left the city, and then, they said that he was on the St. Anne cruise ship when it sank." I put my hand to my mouth. "He's fine though. He got out somehow, and then he went on his way. It took him a while, but I saw him on the news the other day, and he was in Saffron. It was only in passing, but you don't forget a boy with that hat and a Pikachu on his shoulder travelling with a couple of Gym leaders." I nodded and lowered my arm, putting it on the walkway behind me. "So, what about you? You said that Liz's father left you with that scar. You're, about twenty, right?" I nodded. "How long were you looking for her?"

"Ten years." I said. "Half my life so far was spent looking for a Ralts in a place full of them. It was like every single time I was near they were sensing my wish to catch one, and they just avoided me. Ten years go by pretty fast, I'm sure you know that from six." He nodded. "But one day I just kind of pack it in because it's raining, and as I'm sleeping something wakes me up. A little blue haired Ralts wanders right into my tent, and she's not afraid of me at all. I could reach for the ball I had at the ready, but I didn't want to scare her. So she moves up to me as I start feeling happier than I'd ever felt up to that point, and she lays down right beside me. I move the blanket over her, and we go to sleep." He laughed quietly.

"Wow, talk about luck." He said. I laughed as well.

"Ah, you'd think, but no." I said. "In the morning I hear two Pokémon calling out quickly. One was a Gardevoir, and the other a Gallade. Her parents." He stopped chuckling. "I pick up the ball, put it away, grab my hat and put it on, and I pick her up and walk out. After a brief exchange, he cuts my hand, he cuts my eye, and he somehow made my hand leave a bloody, literally by the way, X on the top of the Master Ball." He whistled. "Yeah. But he trusted me to keep Liz safe, and I promised him I would. So, a few days go by, we left the tent in the forest, thinking someone else would use it, and I go to buy a ticket for a jet to bring me here to Kanto, since the Gym leaders in Hoenn were pretty tough."

"You went to buy it?" He asked.

"I went to buy it." I repeated. "But, as fate would have it, as I go to the airport to get it I find out, for the first time in my life, that for some reason or another I have a private jet. Not only have it, but it's parked out on the tarmac ready to go at a minute's notice, clearance at all hours of the day, fully fueled up and stocked with all kinds of food and drinks I like." He whistled again and I laughed. "Yeah, it was a big surprise when they brought us in, but when the girl in there brought me a glass of a very fancy glass of champagne I nearly fell out of my seat."

"How does champagne taste?" He asked.

"Sweet and very bubbly." I replied. "That bottle that she served me was a six hundred dollar bottle." He leaned forward and I felt odd emotions nearby. I looked back to see the girls walking out with their towels. Liz looked at me and I could tell she wanted to talk. "What's up Liz?" I stood up as Emmy glided over to Jack, who was also standing up.

"Gene, we, well, we were talking, and, well…" She started. She put her fingers together and fidgeted with them as she looked down. She was blushing deeply. "Emmy and I, somehow we started, discussing, you and Jack." She looked over at Jack and Emmy. I looked over to see Emmy making gestures and he was nodding. She looked almost just as nervous as Liz, and I could feel it. "So, while we were talking, somehow she, got onto the subject of, well, she saw Jack naked." I looked at her with a confused expression. "She stared and I shrugged it off, saying that, I'd taken a bath with you, and, that shower." She cleared her throat quietly. "Somehow, we got onto another subject, about, um, size." She tapered off at the end and I blinked.

"Height?" I asked in a forced calm voice. She shook her head. "Weight then." She shook her head again.

"I, saw how, big you were." She whispered. "Down, there. When I told her, um, th, the point is, I, accidentally, said, that it felt, good, in, inside, me." I looked over as Emmy made a gesture with her hands, several inches apart, but I was unsure of how many, and I realized she was telling the same thing to Jack, but perhaps more detailed. "S, so, she told me that, she'd keep the secret, because." She stepped closer and looked up at me. "She and Jack are mates." I looked over at him as he looked up at me. I waved casually and he slowly did the same. "Gene, I'm sorry. I just, told her, and, I, I'm so sorry." I looked at her and smiled.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "Girls talk." She looked up at me. "It's how the world works. You and Emmy are friends, and friends talk. You're just, becoming closer friends because you both found so much common ground." I turned to Jack and moved my arm around her waist, making her squeak again. She looked at me and slowly moved her arm to the same spot as we walked over to Jack and Emmy. "So, did you, get the same talk I just did?" He nodded and looked at Liz.

"So, you two, are mates?" He asked. I nodded.

"Little secrets like this are no big deal." I said. He nodded and smiled, moving an arm around Emmy. "Secrets between friends, eh?" He nodded with a wider smile.

"Yeah." He said. "So, can I ask, how long?"

"Since a little over a week after we beat Sabrina." I said. "Liz was nervous, I didn't have a translator, and she seemed so nervous, scared, and sad, I had to find out what she was so worried about. I walk over to the bed, start talking to her to calm her down, and all of a sudden she moves up from the bed and hugs me as tight as she could, and then she kissed me." Emmy smiled slightly. "A few days later I'm taking a shower, thinking we're just about ready to continue with our travelling, and she steps in with me. I move back, let her get in the water, and things led up to me washing her back. I moved my hands forward to her stomach and she guides one hand up and one down. Things led a bit here and there, and, well you can guess where things went from the shower." He nodded. "Since then, we've been enjoying life as mates." Liz moved closer and set her head on my shoulder. Emmy smiled and looked at Jack, who smiled back at her. "You two?"

"Oh, since she evolved almost." He said. "We were travelling through a forest when this rainstorm hits like a ton of bricks, right on top of us. We take shelter in this abandoned house. Looked like the owner had left years ago, but it was dry and we were wet." Emmy nodded.

"Jack took off most of his clothes, except for his jacket." She said. "Up until then, we'd bathe in rivers or whatever Pokémon Center or hotel we were in together. We were just close that way, and we never thought much of it for years. That day though, seeing him in his underwear, I decided to show him that we can take our dresses off. As I took it off in front of the fire, I pulled on a blanket as he looked over at me. He blushed, but I just sat next to him." Jack looked at her and she smiled. I shrugged and pulled out my left earring carefully.

"Hey Jack." I said. "Pierced ear?" He looked at me and nodded slowly so I held out the Translator. "Put that in. I can hear just fine with the one." He put it in and looked at Emmy as she repeated what she had said. He just nodded, smiling wider than before. "It's nice to finally be able to understand clearly." He nodded and looked at us.

"So, from there, Jack just started shying away a little." Emmy continued. "He moved back a little, and I'd move closer. At the time, we both had feelings for each other, but we never knew. We thought it was just a, what was that word? Crush. We had a crush on each other." Jack nodded.

"I started falling asleep, and I had a strange dream." He said. "But partway through it I felt something on my lips, and it woke me up. I opened my eyes and I was sitting against a wall, and Emily had her hands on my chest, and her eyes were closed as she was kissing me." She nodded. "I got nervous at first, but it was a dream come true for both of us. I moved my arms around her and she quickly opened her eyes, but after a few seconds of no movement from either of us we both start getting into the kiss again." Emmy blushed with a smile. "One thing led to another and finally we just, made love in front of the fireplace on her blanket with a thunderstorm going on outside." He took her hand in his and they smiled wider as I took one of Liz's hands. "And so far we've been really careful not to get too frisky in any cities." He blushed. "Before you came in, Emmy and I were, well, getting in the mood to break that little rule for a quickie." I smirked while Liz giggled.

"We might have done the same thing." She said. I pulled her closer and she closed her eyes. "What?" She looked up at me. "You'd say no?" I rolled my eyes and she giggled while the others laughed.

"Well, this is just amazing." Jack said. "I can hardly believe how this all came about." He smiled as we looked at him. "I guess this is kind of like your honeymoon." I smiled as my towel floated over and onto our shoulders.

"I guess." Liz said.  
…

I woke up with a jerk and promptly fell off of the couch. Something felt wrong, and through the groan of annoyance from the fall I heard an eerily familiar sound of someone throwing up in the bathroom, violently. Jack and Emmy got up as well. We still kept up our illusions, Liz and Emmy sharing a bed while I took the couch to let Jack have the bed. I got up and knew that only Liz could be in the bathroom. Sure enough, she threw up again and I sighed.

"Gene, is she okay?" Jack asked. He'd given me back the earring, saying he'd get his own when they came out. I walked over to the bathroom and put my hand on the door.

"Liz, are you alright?" I asked. She started to speak when she groaned.

"I, I don't know." She said quietly. "My stomach hurts, and, and I, I just, feel kind of sick." She coughed and dry heaved a few times before spitting. I heard her set the lid down and flush the toilet. "Why am I doing this? I didn't, eat anything that normally does this to me." I thought back to the dinner, but nothing was there that could have made her sick.

"Gene?" Emmy asked. "Has she done this before?"

"A few times." I said. "A few times in Fuchsia, on the ship, and now…" I tapped the door. "Liz, I'm calling Nurse Joy. We're going to go the Pokémon Center this time to see what's up." She groaned quietly and I sighed. "Liz, we're going to have to do this. We should make sure you're okay before we do anything else. If you're really sick we'll have to put things off for a while, but we'll be okay."

"O, okay." She said after a minute. I reached for my jacket and pulled out the cell phone. "C, can you, come in here, when you call?" I opened the door and saw her looking over at me. I walked up to her and sat by her. She took my free hand and I smiled. I dialed the number and put the phone to my ear while Jack and Emmy looked at each other and then us. The line picked up and I felt a bit of relief.

"Hello, you've reached the Cinnabar Island Pokémon Center." A cheery female voice said. "This is Nurse Joy, how may I help you."

"Hello Nurse Joy." I said, forcing a calm tone. "This is Gene Alastor."

"Oh, Mr. Alastor." She said. "I, heard about you from my sisters. Is something wrong?" She seemed overly concerned. "Is…" She lowered her voice. "Is something wrong with your arm, or your eye? Is Liz okay?"

"I'm fine, but Liz has been, throwing up." I said. "It's happened before, but at first we thought it might have been some of the food she was eating, or being on a ship when it rocked too much, but now I'm worried."

"I can take a look at her right now." She said. "I've got a few friends helping, and one of my sisters is here. We'll both take a look if it's a serious problem. Does your phone have a camera?"

"Yeah." I said. "Picture messaging, all kinds of things."

"I'll send you a picture of the room I want you in." She said. "Let's keep this quiet for now, just to be safe."

"O, kay." I said slowly.

"Okay, see you in a few minutes Mr. Alastor." She said. She hung up and I closed the phone.

"She said she'll send me a picture of the room she wants us in." I said. "She must want us to teleport in."

"I hope it's nothing serious." She said quietly. I nodded and put my hand on her back, just above her gem. "Go ahead, get your, jacket and sunglasses." I nodded again and stood up. I walked out and the others looked at me.

"I don't know if I'll be back." I said. I pulled out the key and tossed it to Jack. "If I'm not back by midday, just tell the owner that I had to take care of something urgent." I smiled. "At least you won't be lying." He smiled as I grabbed my jacket and the sunglasses floated out of the pocket.

"So, you do have some power." He said quietly. I smirked.

"More than you know." I said. My phone vibrated so I looked at it before opening it. A picture message opened showing a room with a table and a Chansey in the background. I walked in and held my hand out to Liz. She took it and stood up, quickly leaning on me with her hands on my chest. I felt her love, as well as her worry. I looked at Jack as I put the phone in my pocket, my gloves seemingly materializing on my hands. I pulled out a card and flipped it toward him. "These scars on my hand, and my eye. Gallade gave me a measure of psychic power." He looked at me as I teleported away. When we appeared in the Center I looked at Liz as Nurse Joy jumped slightly.

"Oh, my." She said. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you so soon. I was going to call you and, tell you to… Never mind." Liz looked at her as she slowly stepped away. "Right this way please." I saw that Joy had earrings so I pulled the left one out of my ear again.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy." I said. Liz walked over to the table as Joy looked at me. I held out the earring. "This is a translator. This should help you." She nodded and took it slowly before removing her left earring and putting the Pokéball shaped one in. She nodded and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see her sister as she stepped back.

"Please, step this way Mr. Alastor." She said. "I'd like to do a quick checkup to make sure you're okay. You're not a Pokémon, but I think it best to make sure your arm and eye are okay." I nodded.  
…

After well over an hour of reading charts, doing lung capacity tests, and even lifting weights and running two miles on a treadmill I was allowed to leave the room to check on Liz. I walked into the room and she was sitting on the table, her hands on the sides and a small object under her right hand. She looked up as Nurse Joy spoke with her sister quietly. Liz held out her left hand slowly as I walked up to her. It was my earring, so I put my hand on hers. She seemed happy, sad, and more nervous than ever, even a little scared. She looked into my eyes and I smiled. I took the earring and put it in, but before she could lower her hand I took it again.

"Gene." She whispered. I felt a chair behind me so I sat down. "H, how, did the checkup go?"

"Clean bill of health." I said. "Stronger lungs than my last medical exam, my eyes are better than ever, and I've got more endurance than a young and healthy Wartortle." She smiled. "You?" She blushed and looked down at the object and she slowly held it out to me. I took it and saw that there were two pink lines. A country song came to mind. "Liz?" She whimpered as Nurse Joy walked over.

"Mr. Alastor." She said quietly. I looked at her. "This isn't, really something that we know a lot about. This is, undocumented as far as we know, but we've _never_ seen anything like this before in our lives." I blinked and looked at the object in my hand.

"I, I'm not sure I, fully understand this." I said quietly. Liz gripped my hand and I looked at her. She was more nervous, less happy, and much more scared.

"G, Gene, I, I…" She said quietly. She looked down again as I looked at the small, tester, in my hand.

"Congratulations." Nurse Joy said. It was all the confirmation I needed. I looked at Liz and she looked up at me. She seemed like she was about to cry.

"Liz, does this mean, what I think it means?" I asked quietly. She whimpered and nodded as I set it on the bed beside her. She closed her eyes so I stood up. She looked at me and slowly stood up. I pulled her close and hugged her, making her gasp. She returned the hug and I heard the nurses sigh quietly.

"Gene." She whispered. "I, I'm…" I rubbed her back and nodded as a few tears left my eyes.

"I know." I whispered. She moved back as I looked into her eyes.

"I love you Gene." She said. I kissed her and she hugged me tighter. When I ended the kiss and I just smiled, a great joy in my heart.

"I love you Liz." I said happily. I laughed quietly. "I, I'm ready for this." She smiled and the nurses giggled while I laughed again with an ever widening smile. "I'm… I'm ready to be a father."  
…

**Author's Note: Okay, this may seem like a cliffhanger, and if you thought that… You're right. But not in the usual way I cliffhang. This is an entirely different type of cliffhang. This, is officially the end of the first part of The Man with a Gallade's Arm. Now don't worry, there will be another part to this. It may take a while, but I promise to bring the next part around as soon as I can. I may even add it on a day other than a Friday… Don't get used to it if that ends up being the case though. Friday is a good day for me. End of the week, no more working for two whole days, no school for two whole days, and most importantly it's the day where you wind down and take a load off of your mind.**

**More than this though, I feel like I couldn't have made much of a better ending to this, the absolute longest chapter to Gallade's Arm. Chapter twenty, Love and Something More. Thank you all for reading this far, and to those of you that reviewed, thank you for keeping me inspired to keep with this story. I never intended it to have such a grand purpose. Mostly it was just something to occupy my time at first, then it turned into my first attempt at a romance story that would have ended at the Pokémon League. Now, well, you'll see where it goes from here. How will this all end? Even I don't know right now. Your guess is as good as mine ladies and gentlemen, esteemed fellow writers, and ever welcome reviewers. Thank you.**


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